Caged
by WannabeDragronTamer88
Summary: Freed from an alien prison after 12 years held in captivity, the Avengers are reunited: with wives who've moved on and children nearly graduated. Everything's turned upside and both generations must work together to survive the year, and catch the bad guy. Through senior year and back from the dead politics, and triumphs and tragedies, and love and war...These are their stories.
1. Birthday Toasts

**My newest Avengers Fic, CAGED!**

 **I'm super excited about it...LET'S GOOOOO!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 _June 6th, Aaron Rogers fifth birthday_

Steve Rogers had fought a war. He was a soldier. He'd saved the world twelve times over. He could handle a five year old's birthday party.

Maybe.

"Hon, could you grab the ice from the freezer?"

"Sure thing babe."

"And make sure the cake is still intact? I saw Aaron eyeing it earlier."

"Of Course."

"Daddy!"

And oh, the sweetest sound in the universe…but maybe not at this exact moment. "Yes, son?"

"Can you play with me?"

"Not just yet, why don't you go outside for a few minutes?"

"But, Daddy,"

"Aaron Grant, you leave your father alone and go outside."

"Awww…yes mommy."

"And Steve?"

"Yes?"

"I think the doorbell just rang, would you go open it please?"

"On it."

Armed with a cake in one hand, ice in the other, Steve opened the front door to his house…and smiled.

"Tony."

Whipping off his sunglasses, Tony Stark smirked at who he considered one of his closest friends. "Hey Steve-o. Wife got you on double-time?"

Steve chuckled. "She's worse than a drill sergeant, but," Steve's voice lowered dramatically, "don't tell her I said that.

"I heard that." Steve winced as his wife's voice reached him. He shrugged and turned to Tony's son; turned five just that February.

"Aunt Nicole is gonna be mad at you." He spoke slowly, and Steve smiled.

"You're right about that, Marco." He agreed. "Why don't you run outside and see if you can find Aaron?" Marco nodded and ran inside after getting a nod of approval from his mother.

Pepper Potts, heavily pregnant and glowing, stepped forward to grab the cake from Steve's hand. "Nicole in the kitchen?" Steve nodded, and Pepper chuckled. She kissed Steve on the cheek as she passed by him. "It's good to see you Steve."

Steve and Tony watched Pepper navigate the hallway for a moment before turning to each other.

"I demanded we show up an hour late, but Pepper demanded to be hear two hours early to help with set up. We compromised," Tony shrugged, checking his watch to confirm that he and his family had arrived only an hour early.

Steve clapped Tony on the shoulder. "I appreciate it. Nicole's been going crazy all morning."

"Not as easy as it look, huh?" Tony joked.

Steve shook his head as he steered Tony into the backyard so they could watch their kids playing. "You think I'd seen enough of these that I would've been prepared, but-"

"Not so much, then?" The two men turned to see a smiling Clint, his daughter set on his shoulders.

"None." Steve and Clint shook hands and Tony sent the man a nod. "Where's the wife?"

"Mama's in the kitchen with Aunt Nicole and Pepper!" Leila held out her hands, and Clint squatted slightly so Tony could lean forward and grab her from his shoulders. Leila hugged him tight in thanks before running to where the other kids played in Steve's large backyard.

"Tasha berating them on their baking skills?" Steve asked. Clint shrugged.

"Of course! What's new?" Steve deposited the bag of ice he'd been hefting around into a nearby cooler and took a seat, the other two men following suit.

"Who're we missing then? Thor and his brood, and Bruce?" Tony asked.

Clint chuckled. "Bruce should be here soon, and Thor will show up fifteen minutes early thinking he did good, then get all upset when he realizes he's still the last one to show up."

Steve laughed. "Then Jane will yell at him because she'll think they're late and blame it on him."

Tony snickered. "And Sam will show up twenty minutes late and pat himself on the back for not being later."

"When did we become so predictable?" Tasha mused as she stepped out into the backyard and moved to Clint's side. He wrapped an arm around her.

"When we became parents." He joked. He looked down at the woman who'd finally said I do just a few short months ago, despite the fact that they'd been living together and raising a child together for five years. "Any regrets?"

Tasha smiled and shook her head.

"To no regrets." Steve leaned forward and handed his guest glasses of lemonade. The group smiled and clinked their glasses together, repeating after Steve.

"To no regrets."

* * *

"I can't believe it's been five years since we've had to save the world," Bruce mused, swirling his drink as he watched the kids playing kickball in Steve's backyard. Benjamin, his son, was in the outfield more focused on picking flowers than the game. He chuckled.

Clint, who sat next to him, snorted. "Well I can't believe that we all just decided to have kids within months of each other." Clint pointed to the group of five-year-olds that Sam Wilson and his wife were trying corral.

"The assassins daughter, the God of Thunders twins, and the sons of the hulk, Iron man, and Captain America, all in kindergarten together? Learning to drive at the same time?"

"Dating each other?" Tony teased. Clint narrowed his eyes.

"You keep your boy away from my angel!" He threatened. Tony just laughed.

"Well I think it's Xander you'll have to worry about." Thor chimed in. "My son is quite the flirt, even at five."

"Wonder where he learned that from," Steve ribbed.

"Who learned what?" The Avengers paused in their conversation to welcome their better halves to the patio. Nicole, Steve's was tall, blonde and beautiful, the greenest eyes anyone had ever seen. She sat down next to her husband and Steve grinned.

"Something about a flirting five year old?" Jane Foster, now Odinson, settled herself on her husbands lap. Blue-green eyes met brown and Thor's smile deepened. "

"Our son is a flirt." He admitted seriously.

Pepper laughed as she lowered herself slowly into a chair, her large belly a hindrance. "Well that's no surprise.

"Looks like he's not the one we should really be worried about though," Tasha stood behind Clint's chair, her hands on his shoulders, and she jerked her head toward the kids, where Ben was shyly handing Leila one of the flowers he'd picked.

Clint rolled his eyes. "My baby's surrounded by ruffians…and Rhiannon."

"Who might have a flirt for a twin but is otherwise a doll." Jane smiled. "And she keeps her brother in line."

"I for one am glad this one's a girl." Pepper rubbed her belly softly, and the group smiled at the gesture.

"Well," Thor hesitated as he looked at his wife with a secretive smile, "I would not mind another boy."

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Should we be expecting another Odinson within the year then?"

Jan flushed, and the group snapped to attention.

"Or sooner?" Clint pressed.

Jane gave her husband a small nod, and Thor's hand landed protectively on his wife's stomach, as if it had wanted to be there all along. "Try in six months." He burst out proudly.

The Avengers began to talk over themselves, laughing and smiling at the happy announcement.

"Please tell me no one else is pregnant!" Tony joked, eyeing the group suspiciously. He passed Clint and Tasha by; knowing that while Clint had taken to his role as a stay at home dad like a duck to water, that Tasha was too busy with work to contemplate another child at the moment, and Tony didn't linger to long on Steve and Nicole, who'd had a rough time of it with Aaron, and under the advisement of doctors had decided not to try again. Tony pointed to Bruce with a raised brow, and Bruce just laughed.

It was common knowledge that while Bruce and Ben's mom had a cordial relationship, Ben had been the result of a one night stand.

Tony shrugged. "Better to ask, am I right?!"

"A toast." Steve proclaimed for the second time that warm June evening. "To our kids; those present and not yet here, to family and friends, to great memories and good times to come, and to five years without an earth-threatening catastrophe." Glasses clinked.

"Not five years just yet." Clint pointed out. "We've still got a few weeks left."

Tasha rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because some crazy alien is going to decided to wage war on earth within the next 24 days."

"Like that's going to happen." Tony snorted.

Clint just shrugged, turning his head slightly to eye the kids playing.

"You never know…"

* * *

 _June 6th, Aaron Rogers 16th Birthday_

 _11 years later_

"Aaron Rogers, I don't care if it is your birthday, you get your butt back in here and take out the trash!" Nicole Rogers sighed heavily as she waited with arm outstretched for her only son to hurry back inside and grab the full garbage sack out of her hand.

"Sorry Ma." Aaron flipped his blond hair out of his bright blue eyes, sending his mom a bright grin as he took the bag from her. "Hi Aunt Pepper." He threw out towards the red head seated at his kitchen island.

"Hey Aaron. Happy Birthday." Pepper drawled lightly. Aaron beamed in response, and then he was gone. "They grow up so fast, don't they?" Pepper joked.

Nicole huffed, standing in the middle of her kitchen. "They grow into punks is what they grow into." Pepper laughed in agreement. "That's for sure."

"And you have two of them! How do you do it?" Nicole plopped onto a bar stool, exhausted. Pepper watched her sympathetically.

"What happened…it was hard on all of us." Pepper spoke slowly. "But I think of all of us, you got the worst of it." Nicole's shoulders slumped.

* * *

Three weeks after Aaron's fifth birthday, the earthquakes had started. It became relatively obvious that what everyone thought were earthquakes actually were the beginning attack of an alien force bent on destroying Earth.

A month after Aaron's fifth birthday and the Avengers suited up once more to defend their planet. The Avengers fought hard, and valiantly, and they saved earth…..but the final battle gleaned no survivors.

No one was quite sure how the Avengers had fallen, but that battle: The Final Battle, as it was penned, left earth with two certainties.

One: Earth had been defended. And Two….

The Avengers were dead.

The aftermath left three grieving widows, two orphans, six fatherless children, and a planet without it's heroes. It had been a long grueling process, but 11 years later, the Avengers oldest children were sixteen, and everyone had done the best they could to move forward.

Pepper gave birth to her daughter three days after she'd lost her husband. She raised her infant daughter and young son singlehandedly while running a company. She established a childcare center to ensure that the Avengers children had a place that they could grow up together, and founded a High School in honor of America's heroes: The Avengers Academy. She made sure that the eclectic family unit that the Avengers had made when they'd still been alive held strong; which is one reason she sat so comfortably in Nicole Roger's kitchen.

* * *

Nicole shrugged in response to Pepper's comment. "Because Aaron's always been so sick? Because his hospital bills nearly bankrupt us? We managed."

Pepper smiled. "You've done more than just manage, Nicole. You're the strongest out of all of us; Jane and I may have lost our husbands as well; but I had a company to support me, and Jane had the support of her second husband, as nice as he was to show up on the scene as quickly as he did." Nicole huffed out a laugh in agreement. "All of a sudden it was just you and your sick son, and instead of letting people take care of you, you went back to school, got your degree, and worked three jobs to pay the bills until you could take a job with a decent salary. You raised Aaron to be a polite, handsome boy. And mostly healthy too."

That got a real laugh out of Nicole. "Despite the fact that Aaron has all of the problems Steve had pre-serum, he's the trouble-maker of the group, mark my words. Speaking of my brat," Nicole changed the subject, "Where are your two?"

"Ah, yes." Pepper leaned back, not caring as her gray suit wrinkled. "Marco is basking in the freedom of officially having his license for six months, and decided to go pick up JJ for the party. He and Nikki have some weird truce going on, so he let her come with him. The three of them should be here soon."

Nicole smiled. "Ah, JJ. The teenager with the smallest amount of punk in her."

"And she's not even a super." Pepper added, referring to what the high schoolers at Avengers Academy liked to call the oldest Avengers kids.

"I have this theory that she's not a punk because she's NOT a super." Nicole countered, and Pepper nodded.

"I'd have to agree with you on that."

"Hey Ma?"

"Yes Aaron?" Nicole called out.

"Xander, Rhiannon, and Max are here with Max's dad. Can he start making the burgers?"

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Sure." Both she and Pepper stood. Looks the party was getting started.

* * *

"Alright, birthday boy, before we bust out the smores, do you want to say a few words?"

Aaron, sitting around the fire pit and surrounded by his closest friends, grinned and shook his head. "I want JJ to say a few words for me!"

The group of teenagers jeered and hollered, and the mocha colored teen sitting to Aaron's right shot him a glare. "That's rude." She accused, stuffing her hands into the dark gray hoodie she wore.

"C'mon JJ, it's my birthday." Aaron bat his ridiculously long lashes, and the teen stood, sighing loudly.

"Fine…but only because I didn't get you a present." The teenagers hooted and hollered at this, and JJ shot Nicole a wink.

JJ told Nicole to expect Aaron's present in a few weeks…it was still being weaned. Nicole shook her head amused from where she sat on the deck with the other adults, all of whom were paying close to JJ, who stood on the picnic table…she was shorter than most, and used every opportunity to stand on something.

"Alright, calm down you animals. I'll say a few words." She cleared her throat.

"I was five years old when I ran into this punk." JJ gestured to Aaron. "He was smack dab in the middle of an asthma attack, and in my great wisdom, I ordered him to stop it, right now." JJ winked. "He did, to my great surprise. And just like that we were friends. He introduced me to this group of animals;" The teens hooted and hollered louder, "To his beautiful Mom and his best friends Marco," Tony's son stood and bowed with all the dramatic flair that he'd inherited from his father, dark hair gleaming in the firelight, "and Ben," Ben, was Bruce, in more ways than one, with an olive tint and slant in his eyes that he got from his mother, who'd also died during the final battle. "He made me befriend Xander," Xander was Thor's son, through and through, tall and blond haired (though short and spikey instead of long and flowy,) and all-over dreamy, although JJ didn't seem impressed.

"And then he introduced me to my favorites, Rhiannon and Leila." The two girls, nearly polar opposites, stood and took their own small bows. Rhiannon was tall, slender and dark-haired, the only thing she shared with her twin brother was their bright blue-green eyes. Leila was blond-haired, hazel-eyed and curvy. They were both beautiful. "It wasn't until second grade that I even realized I was in the presence of royalty." JJ winked. "And by then it was too late, not only had the "supers" taken me in, but so had their families.

"All of a sudden I had a Mama Nicole, Mama Pepper, and Mama Jane, younger siblings," Thor's youngest, Lukas, and Tony's daughter, Nikki waved. "And I got to see the family grow; from Jane's new husband and his best friend, all the way from London," Jane leaned over her husband of 9 years to smirk at her co-worker and her husbands best friend, Dr. John Watson. John huffed and John's teenage son Max waved at him. Jane's husband, Sherlock, patted his wife's hand and turned to look his twin daughter's in the eye.

"You may join the teenagers for the last of JJ's speech." The sixth grade girls nodded happily and moved to listen to the rest of JJ's story.

"And that doesn't even include Leila's adopted parents, or Dr. Dean; Ben's guardian." JJ raised her smore in the adult's direction, and they toasted her.

"Aaron, your friendship means the world to me. I wouldn't have met any of these amazing people without you. I know that all of you lost your parents, husbands, heroes 11 years ago, but you've perservered. You've survived. Aaron; you're 16 today. I wish that your dad, your hero, were here with us. But if it's any consolation…my hero IS here tonight. My hero, is you. Happy birthday to my best friend in the world, Aaron Rogers!"

The group of people, gone quiet when JJ got serious, hollered loudly and happily. "Happy Birthday Aaron!"

"JJ doesn't pull any punches." Pepper murmured.

"No she doesn't," Nicole murmured. "She never says the easy thing, but she always says the right thing."

"Now, before my mom comes to pick me up," JJ laughed at the boos that comment got, "I would like to make a toast…to this summer and for our last two years of high school! I have a feeling it's going to be crazy…but awesome. To," JJ paused, then she grinned. "To impossibilities come true, to miracles and magic…to the future!

The kid's lifted their s'mores, and caught up in the excitement, the adults lifted their glasses.

"To the future!"

* * *

 **So, to Recap, there was a time of peace in which the Avengers procreated and started families, and then a Final Battle that happened years later, supposedly killing off the Avengers. Next Chapter up NOW!**

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 **~CLC~**


	2. Sound Effects

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 _1 year later_

 _Last day of Junior Year_

"Ugh, three more hours, than the worst year of my life is OVER." Leila muttered, running a hand through her hair.

Rhiannon patted her best friends shoulder and made a face at her twin brother. Xander shrugged and nudged Aaron lightly. "I wouldn't be wishing for summer so quickly, Lay. Aaron and I plan on kicking your butt this year.

Leila shot the two teens a look. "As if. Rhi and I have beat you three years running. Don't think we're planning on giving up our title now."

Xander scoffed. "We'll see about that!" Leila rolled her eyes, but seemed much improved. Rhi smiled in thanks at her brother, who just shrugged it off.

Leila's parents had died three weeks before school started, in a freak accident. It had been the second set of parents Leila had lost in her short 17 years of life. Leila had turned nearly catatonic, wouldn't speak, or eat, or even cry. She didn't snap out of it till the day of her parents funeral, where a flustered JJ had appeared out of nowhere; having rushed home from her summer abroad with her dad, and Leila had collapsed into JJ's arms weeping loudly.

JJ had gotten Leila through the worst time of her life. Leila still had her bad days, but the rest of the "Supers" along with JJ kept a close eye on her, and for the most part…she was better. The red hair she was sporting that morning was quite new…but nobody wanted to say anything about THAT just yet.

"Hey guys! How stoked are y'all for summer?" Ben and Steven, Bruce and Sam Wilson's kid were the next to join the group.

Xander high-fived Steven and nodded at Ben. "More than ready. Though I'm not so stoked for Ma to see my grades." Ben snorted.

"Please, Xander, what was your ending GPA, 3.998?"

Xander cuffed Ben lightly on the back of the head as the rest of the group laughed. "Bite me."

"What are we laughing about?" Marco, the Tony stark lookalike and shorter, blond-haired blue-eyed Max Watson joined the Supers.

"Just Xander whining about his nearly perfect grades." Aaron spoke up blithely.

"Oh, so the usual." Max retorted brightly. Xander lunged as if to go after Max, and Max flinched. The group laughed again.

"The bell's gonna ring so." Leila spoke. "Who're we missing?"

Xander snorted. "Who do you think?"

"Sup guys!" JJ, wearing worn jeans and a dark shirt ran up, huffing. "Sorry, the chess team wanted to know if we were meeting this summer and I-"

"Had to think of a nice way to say heck no?" Aaron joked.

JJ sent her best friend a bright grin. "Exactly."

"Well, thank you for choosing to grace u with your presence." Xander snapped a little stiffly. JJ didn't take offense at his attitude.

"I was actually planning on getting here early, but I had the weirdest dream…"

"What? That you actually had friends?" Xander retorted. The rest of the group ignored Xander's change of mood. It wasn't new to them…Xander just didn't seem to like JJ.

"No." JJ glared. "Marco's dad accosted Chuck Norris on this abandoned road in Australia."

"Oh." Steven nodded his head slowly. "THAT kind of weird."

"Exactly." JJ relaxed, turning to Leila. "I know the bell's gonna ring any second, but I have to say, your hair looks STUNNING."

"Oh thanks." Leila smiled. "I just kinda wanted to change, thought maybe it'd make me look like mom…"

"It's AWESOME, Lay. I love it."

BRRRRRRIIIIINNNNGGGGGG!

* * *

 _The last day in the cage_

BRRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG.

Clint Barton jerked upright.

The 7am bell; as routine as clockwork, but it shocked Clint into waking every morning.

You think he'd be used to this.

Big shocker…..he wasn't.

Clint stayed immobile, waiting for his eyes and body to adjust to awake-mood, and then he took in his surroundings.

It was the same clearing in the woods he'd fallen asleep in last night, the same one they'd occupied since they'd first arrived in the cage…what? Almost 12 years ago now? It was home to the Avengers…or the ones that were left, anyway.

"Clint?" The voice of Steve Rogers jarred Clint into movement. "You up? Bruce is on breakfast duty, it'll be done in a few minutes."

"I'm up." Clint's voice was rough, unused. He didn't speak so much anymore. Not since…Clint stood and stretched his aching joints, moving to take a seat around the fire. Bruce was there, as were Steve, and Stark.

"Thor's on surveillance." Steve answered Clint's unspoken question. "I told him to keep an eye out. It's odd that we've had no new opponents in…"

"Six months?" Tony scoffed. "Maybe they finally realized they couldn't break us. No matter that they've trapped us in this cage, kept us here for, what, 4,136 days? And they periodically send in monsters for us to fight. And here we still are."

"Most of us." Clint muttured, and Tony fell silent. Clint knew he probably shouldn't have said that, but he refused to forget. The cage might not have taken most of them…but it had taken one of them.

Steve cleared his throat. "We're on normal schedule unless something routine happens. We're about due another shipment soon, Bruce will keep an eye on that; if it shows Tony's on sewing duty. Clint, relieve Thor when his shift is over, and He and I will go hunting."

* * *

12 years ago the Avengers had been forced to make a decision. The Aliens intent on ravaging earth had forced an ultimatum: hand themselves over, and they leave Earth alone forever, or fight; and everyone and everything dies.

The Avengers had gone with the former, thinking they'd be handing themselves over to death. No, they'd really been handing themselves over to…the cage.

The cage was a dome like-thing, the size of the state of Washington. It had it's own ecosystem, set of creatures, water supply, and trees, but no way out. Yet somehow, their "hosts" as Steve called them, delivered a package every 90 days that included the basics; a sewing kit, bolts of cloth, a few kitchen utensils, and medical supplies. Everyone had learned to sew real quick; but Tony was most adept at it. Thor and Steve were the hunters, Bruce did the best with creating palatable meals, and manned the small garden that allowed the Avengers fruit and vegetables, and Clint was best at scouting. Despite their obvious talents, everyone helped everywhere, and the Avengers survived.

If you could call what they were doing surviving.

The only upside? Nobody seemed to have aged during their stay.

So there was that.

* * *

"Clint?"

Clint snapped out of his perusal to look at Steve. "You with me?" Steve asked. Clint nodded once. "Okay. Well, unless our hosts decide to throw a monster in today, like I was saying, it should all be pretty normal-"

"Steve!" Thor's voice, panicked, reached the group before Thor himself did. Everyone shot up, at alert. The cage had taught them to be alert at a moment's notice. It was the only way they'd survived as long as they had.

"Thor! What is it?"

Thor appeared, panting, and red faced. "There's a door."

"What?" Tony snapped.

"There's a door!" Thor shouted. "It just…appeared, in the wall of the cage."

Well. This was new. "Show me." Steve demanded.

Thor ran back the way he'd come, the rest of the Avengers following suit. Clint moved to do the same, but first…he sneezed.

ACCCHHHOOOOOOOO!

* * *

ACCCCCHHHHOOOOOOO!

Rhiannon's ASB teacher paused in the middle of what he was saying to send a confused look around the room. "Bless you?" He said, highly confused.

"Oh no, Mr. Bowser. That was my text tone." JJ smiled, pulling out her phone. Their young teacher smiled in understanding. "Ah. Alright then. As I was saying."

Rhi leaned over. Aaron may have the title of best friend for JJ, but JJ was Rhi's best friend.

"Who is it?" Rhi asked.

"Oh. My dad." JJ smirked. "He's just confirming that mom and I will be headed to see him as soon as the party tonight is over."

Xander, seated conviently behind his sister leaned forward. "I still think it's the weirdest thing that you call your biological dad mom."

JJ just shrugged. "Well, my adopted dad had been taking care of me for like five years before I even knew my real dad was still alive. I'd been calling him dad for nearly that whole time too…I wasn't just gonna take the title away from him."

"Yeah, Xander." Rhi rolled her eyes. "Obviously the only logical thing to call her real dad then was mom."

"Exactly! Wait. Are you mocking me?" Rhi just smiled, and JJ huffed. "Oh how you wound me. Now shh. I think I won this award."

Xander and Rhi shared a grin, but turned back to the teacher nonetheless.

"Now, this award is for the MVP, our most valuable player in ASB this year, but this person will also be receiving the award for most improved. I have to say, when this person first showed up in my classroom, I thought they were just another student attempting that easy A. I was certain they would be a hindrance to the rest of the class, but I was happily proven wrong. Though this person has attended AA for all three years, I did not see them speak or become involved in the school at all until this year, and this year, they went above and beyond. I do not speak lightly when I say it has been an honor to have this person in class; and I have no doubt they will be a major influence next year. To this years Most Improved and MVP: Justice Jay!"

JJ blanched, so surprised was she, but the rest of the class, Rhi and Xander included, burst into applause.

It was an award JJ had earned, and Mr. Bowser was right. Before Junior Year, JJ did the bare minimum, only what she had to. She wasn't mean, but she didn't reach out to anyone she didn't HAVE to. This year, that had changed, JJ had helped anyone and everyone, regardless of who they were. She talked to anyone who would listen, and listened to anyone who needed to talk. She'd made a name for herself that year, and not on purpose.

Xander would've bet good money that she was more well known AND well liked than all of the Supers….combined.

JJ accepted her award…then promptly dropped it, purely on accident.

THUMP.

* * *

THUMP.

Thor dropped his hammer onto the ground, staring incredulously at the door.

It was still there.

The girl who'd come with the door was gone…but the door was still there, and that had to mean something, right?

"Where do you think it goes?" Tony asked, awed.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Bruce asked worriedly.

"I highly doubt it leads somewhere good for us." Steve answered negatively.

"Who cares?" Clint burst out, causing his teammates to eye him in concern. "What other option do we have? Stay here? We've been here 12 years…I'd rather that door lead straight to Loki's front door than to stay here one more day. That door could lead no where and kill us the second we crossed that threshold, and I'd still pick the door! Anything is better than THIS."

The Avengers stared at Clint, shocked. It was the most words he'd spoken at one time in over nine years.

Steve nodded resolutely. "Through the door it is."

Thor was the last one through the door. He spend a precious moment eyeing the cage; his home for the last decade. Then he grinned…and slammed the door shut behind him.

SLAM!

* * *

SLAM!

The slam of the school doors was the sound of freedom for the Supers…and JJ.

"Whoo!" Max hopped around. "Goodbye junior year!" He screeched. "Hello summer and bikini's and-"

"Whoa, Max." Leila smirked. "That's more about you than we wanted to know."

Max flushed. "I'M not wearing the bikini," he protested. Then he smirked. "Unless you want me to Laylay," He teased. Leila tossed her long curly red locks over her shoulder.

"Oh, get your khaki shorts and bro tank away from me." She scolded while grinning. "See you tonight?"

Max beamed. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Alright, stop flirting with my adopted twin." Marco demanded, wrapping an arm around Leila's shoulder. Marco's mom Pepper had taken Leila in after her parents death, and Marco had taken his brother duty quite seriously.

No one else did, though.

"Chill Marco," JJ chided, arm in arm with Aaron. "We all know Max is just a big baby flirt."

Marco, shrugged, but didn't remove his arm from around Leila.

"What are you doing till Marco's party tonight?" Aaron asked.

JJ shrugged. "Packing for summer. The usual. Which, I think that's my mom there." JJ jerked her head towards where a man sat comfortably on a motorcycle, face covered by a helmet. "And I think your mom just got here." JJ sent Aaron a wave as she headed towards her mom. "See ya tonight!"

"Yup!" Aaron answered, waiting for his mom to honk before heading over.

Anddd…

HOONNKK.

* * *

HOONNKK.

Tony had been the first through the door, but somehow, wherever they'd landed, he was on top of the huge dogpile the Avengers were now laid in. He refused to move, afraid of what he'd see, until he heard the car horn.

Surely there weren't car horns in Hell…he jumped up.

"Guys!" Tony exclaimed. "Check it out!"

Steve was the first one up, after Tony, his eyes widened, and he beamed. Then he frowned. "We're on Earth. But where?"

"Australia." Thor answered certainly. There was no doubt in his mind.

Bruce shot him a look. "Did you just say that in a perfect Australian accent?"

Thor shrugged. Maybe he did…maybe he didn't.

"How?" Clint muttered. "How?!"

The Avengers were on the side of a road. It was early morning, so traffic was slow. On the other side of the road, an older man was on his morning jog. He saw the Avengers before they saw him, but the second Tony say a human life, he ran towards it.

He made it to the jogger, grabbing him and shaking him a little bit, opening his mouth to say something…but then Tony froze. He could hardly believe who he was staring at.

"You are lucky you have no words." The voice said dryly. "A man once screamed at me. Now that man has no throat." The jogger shook Tony off gently and continued on his jog. Tony returned to his teammates, shocked.

"Was that?" Clint seemed speechless.

"That was definitely Chuck Norris." Tony confirmed. "I think he even said a chuck Norris joke."

Steve chuckled unbelievingly.

"This day couldn't get any weirder." He snorted.

A car driving down the road pulled over by them, the driver's window rolled down slowly, and a woman's smiling face took in the Avengers in their glory.

"Hey there." She beamed. "You guys need a ride?" The avengers shared a look, then nodded. The woman unlocked her doors and the men climbed in, eyebrows raising as they recognized vaguely the song on her radio.

**Shake it off, Shake it off.**

* * *

**Shake it off, Shake it off**

"Marco…this song is so old it makes me want to die." Aaron complained.

Marco just shrugged. "Tswift is a classic. Bite me."

Xander, seated in between Aaron and Marco poolside at Marco's place, just smirked. "Never get between a man and his T-swift, Aaron. You should know that." Aaron just rolled his eyes.

"Hey Xan! Come play catch with us!" Steven and Max had commandeered Marco's small patch of grass to throw a rugby ball around with. Xander shrugged and stood to join them, but JJ came out of Marco's kitchen with a big platter of food.

"Hold it, punk! She hollered. We gotta do our yearly tradition, then y'all can get crazy."

"It's not even dinner time." Xander complained, though he began making his way over to where JJ stood, as did everyone else, even those who'd been in the pool.

"Yeah, well I didn't pack as fast as I should've, so I have to leave in a few minutes."

Everyone groaned and she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, bite me. Alright! As is tradition, we will go around in a circle and share our favorite part of junior year and our summer plans. Ready? Aaron, start."

Aaron grinned. "I only had one asthma attack this year at school." The supers cheered. "And…probably just a summer job."

"Boring." Xander made a face. Then he grinned. "My favorite part of junior year was our football team placing second at State. Next year we're taking first though. This summer…Rugby. And a lot of it."

Steven and Max cheered.

"Same and Same." They said at the same time, then high fived each other.

"Jocks." Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "My favorite part was the spring break we spent in Australia." Everyone cheered. "Thanks JJ for helping that Pilot save a plane full of people and befriending her so much so that she'd invite all of us to her huge mansion in Australia for the week."

"Anytime." JJ winked.

"And I just want to visit as many colleges as possible." Rhiannon sighed wistfully. Ben's eyes widened.

"I should do that too!" He gasped. Then he settled. "I agree with Australia. But Uncle Dean and I are going to go visit his brother in Kansas for a few weeks, so that should be fun."

Leila flipped her eye. "I hate to repeat, but Australia was awesome. And," She hesitated. "I'm planning on taking a dance intensive course in San Francisco for a month."

"Whoa Lay!" JJ beamed. "That's gonna be awesome!"

Leila smiled. "I know. What about you JJ?"

JJ pursed her lips. "I enjoyed Thanksgiving, when we volunteered at the homeless shelter."

"Way to be a goody-two-shoes." Xander snarked.

JJ shrugged. "Bite me, It was a very fulfilling experience. And Mom and I are going to go visit Dad."

"You do that every year." Aaron complained.

"And every year it's awesome." JJ rolled her eyes as her phone went off. "Now, I gotta go; lemme say some final thoughts!" She narrowed her eyes as she thought.

"To everyone, I have a feeling that this summer is going to get busy for all y'all. So have fun! But don't get too wild." She warned.

"C'mon Jay." Aaron grinned. "It's just another summer. What could happen?"

JJ shrugged, but got a weird look on her face. "I dunno, for sure…

"I just have this gut feeling that this summer is going to be one crazy ride…for all of you."

* * *

"This is one crazy ride!"

"Can you believe our luck?" Tony muttered to Bruce. "First Chuck Norris, then the lady we hitch a ride from is a pilot, and THEN she knows our brats?!"

Bruce nodded. "Which means that where we landed wasn't a complete accident." He held tightly to the armrests of his seat.

"Something to keep in mind." Thor nodded.

Tony looked to Thor, then turned away with a snicker. "Sorry man, I just can't take you seriously with your jean capris."

Thor looked down sadly at the jeans he wore, that were indeed short enough to be capris.

The pilot, Marie, had given them all clothes to wear, given them time to shave and cut their hair, and then had offered to fly them home. Unfortunately, her husband and adult son were about the same size as Tony, Clint, and Bruce, not so much Steve and Thor. Steve had lucked out and nabbed a pair of sweatpants to go with his overly tight white shirt. Thor had not been so lucky.

"Shut up." He groaned, running a hand over his face wearily.

"Alright, Turbulence should be at a minimum now." Marie spoke brightly. "In the overhead I threw a photo album of your kids' spring break here, if you want to look through it. Steve jumped up and went looking for it, and the other four moved together so they could all see it.

The album was filled with pictures of laughing teenagers; at a pool, eating in a local restaurant, posing with a live kangaroo. The Avengers went silent as they looked through page after page.

"Ask me anything you like." Marie added. "Near the back are the photos with everyone; the parents came for the last two days."

Tony flicked immediately to the back of the book, pausing on a group picture. He laughed a little when he saw his Pepper with an arm wrapped around a young girl with the same bright red hair. "Oh god, I've got a red-head." He joked.

"Nikki." Marie identified. "Marco is the one in skinny jeans in every picture." Tony looked closer and saw his son; 17, indeed in skinny jeans and making an ugly face at Nikki, which she reciprocated. Tony laughed. "Look, Clint, it's Leila."

Clint nearly ripped the album from Tony as he found his daughter, her face smiling but slightly forlorn. She had gorgeous honey-blond hair and her mother's direct stare. "Leila's adopted parents died in a freak accident this last July. They were great with her, and she misses them a lot. She's been living with Pepper and her kids for the last year."

Clint clapped Tony on the back. "Your wife's good people. Hey Bruce, Ben's awfully close to my kid. I don't like that." Bruce leaned over to find Ben standing to one side of Leila, his face sunburnt, but his smile easy. He stood arm in arm with a man with deep green eyes and dark blond hair. "Who's the guy?" Bruce asked.

"Dr. Dean Singer. He's Ben's guardian…found Ben wandering the streets when he was 12, apparently he'd hulked out and his grandparents refused to have nothing to do with him, so Ben ran away. Dean found him, took him in, and filed for guardianship. The Doc's a good guy. He's good for Ben." Bruce nodded, jealous of the man who'd raised his son, but glad Ben had someone to look up to.

"There's Aaron." Steve pointed out with a grin.

Aaron stood, the shortest of all the teen boys, next to his mom, who beamed.

"He looks just like you." Tony smirked.

"Yeah, pre-serum." Steve joked, though his eyes were bright. "He looks happy."

"They all do," Thor murmured. "Except for that punk." Thor grinned as he pointed to Xander, who looked slightly irritated.

"He looks just like you." Clint added. "Except with shorter hair. And your daughter has your eyes, but otherwise she looks just like Jane."

Thor smiled, though his smile faded as Marie spoke once more. "Ah…Jane. The only Avenger widow to remarry." Thor paled. "She goes by Jane Holmes now. Her husband is the dark-haired one. They have twin girls together, if that helps point him out."

Thor's eyes ran to the picture, where Jane stood with her youngest son on one side and a tall dark-haired stranger with piercing blue eyes and a smirk on the other. His attention was taken not by the photographer, but by the two dark-haired twin girls who were talking excitedly to a small group of teens who stood off to the side.

Thor sat back to acknowledge the news that his wife had remarried, and Steve broke the awkward silence. "Who are these other kids?"

"Ah. The blond haired one you don't recognize is Max, he's the son of Sherlock; er, Jane's new husband's best friend. The darkest one is Steven, he's,"

"Sam's kid!" Clint spoke up. "He got tall."

Marie laughed. "Yeah, he's the star of the basketball team. Max is our resident baseball player, and Xander remains our best rugby and football guy."

"And the girl?" Tony asked.

"Ah. Her name's JJ. She's actually the only "non-super" of the group."

"Super?" Steve questioned.

"A super is a child directly descended from a superhero, living or dead. They don't really have any powers, except for, erm, Ben, but they get a cool title."

"So how'd JJ become a part of it?"

"She met Aaron in kindergarten. Honestly, she's the glue that keeps that group together. I mean, think about it. A group that large, with so many big personalities? It would've ruptured a long time ago if it weren't for JJ."

"Well." Steve thought for a moment. He grinned brightly. "I look forward to meeting her."

"My son. My youngest son." Thor spoke up suddenly. "What's his name?"

Marie paused. "Luka." Thor sagged, a small smile on his face.

"Well. Good name." Steve clasped Thor on the shoulder and directed a look toward his teammates.

"It may not be to the kids or families that we remember;" Steve began, "but as far as we've seen, they're doing really well. They're alive, and happy…and in a few hours we'll be face to face with them." Steve grinned, the brightest, happiest look on his face in over twelve years.

"Guys…we're going home."

* * *

 **The Avengers are alive...surprise surprise, and some of you might have even heard a few random names thrown in there! (Jane's husband, cough cough.) There's a lot of questions that need to be answered, but plot and CONFLICT ( cause there will be some,) won't really start hitting for a while; the next few chapters are going to be setting the scene and introducing you to all the important characters!**

 **Next two chapters up next FRIDAY.**

 **REMINDER: If you're following my blog; Ready. Aim. Write., You may or may not see some extra content and fun stuff later on down the road. You'll also get first looks at new chapters, stories, and more. It's the best way to keep up with me and my crazy brain! I have the same username on tumblr as I do here! Hope to see you there!**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite, maybe?**

 **LLAP, (Live Long and Prosper,)**

 **~CLC~**


	3. Live Mascots

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 _3 months later,_ _September 1st_ _The first day of senior year_

Aaron Rogers was walking on air. His dad was ALIVE, his mom was happier than he'd ever seen her, it was the first day of senior year, and he would finally get to see his best friend in over three months.

He was surprised though, to find said best friend lying face down on the walkway that led to the front doors of the Academy. He walked slowly to her side, and squatted down, bemused.

"Er, JJ?" Aaron asked.

When she didn't respond he leaned over to poke her. "JJ?"

JJ sighed heavily and turned to regard Aaron with a glare. "Yes? What?"

Aaron smiled. "How was your summer?"

JJ's eyes narrowed. "It was…eventful. Yours?"

"I could say the same," Aaron's smile widened. "You mind standing up so I can talk to you like a normal person?"

"But if I stand up, people will be able to see me." She complained.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "They can see you anyway, Jay, just get up. I wanna tell you something." With a huge sigh, JJ jumped up lithely. Aaron stood up quickly in surprise. "Whoa! That was cool. Did you take some weird gymnastics class over the summer?"

JJ made a face. "Not exactly. Now what's this something you want to tell me?" She raised a brow.

Aaron took a deep breath. "Well-"

"JJ!" A whirlwind of red hair ran past Aaron, causing him to teeter, and slammed into JJ, who didn't even flinch.

"Nikki." JJ smiled. "Good to see you too. Did you have a good summer?" JJ wrapped her arms around the small teenager, squeezing her lightly.

Nikki winced slightly. "Er, yeah. You'll never guess what happened?"

JJ's eyes widened. "Your mom finally let you skip a grade so now you're a freshmen!"

Nikki made a face. "No! Well yes."

"What Nikki's trying to tell you is actually supposed to be a surprise." Marco ambled over to the group and shot his little sister a look. Blue eyes challenged brown, and Nikki looked away sulkily. Marco smirked, then pulled his sister away from JJ.

"So wait." JJ frowned, then smiled as more of the Super's made their way into the group. "There's a surprise that everyone knows about, but me, but no one's going to tell me?"

"Pretty much." Rhiannon and Leila said at the same time. Leila straightened her cheer uniform with a toss of her head.

"I see you went back to blond." JJ mentioned. "Red didn't last long."

Rhiannon laughed. "It faded to this weird pink color over the summer and her dad couldn't STAND it-" Rhiannons eyes widened and her twin slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Rhi!" Marco chastened. "It was supposed to be a secret!"

JJ's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean Leila's DA-"

"Hey guys! Long time no see!" Max, and Steven grinned brightly at the group. JJ rounded on them. "Do you guys know the secret?" She demanded.

Max went bright red in the face, but Steven shook his head innocently. "I don't know what your talking about." JJ narrowed her eyes.

"You guys are all punk liars and I hate you." She crossed her arms.

"Why don't you just tell her?" Xander finally rolled his eyes. Everyone looked at him, surprised. He never sided with JJ. Xander went slightly red. "I mean, so that she stops whining like a baby. Because it's annoying."

Ben nodded in agreement. "C'mon guys, she deserves to know."

JJ beamed and wrapped an arm around Ben. "There we go! Ben's my favorite!" Xander opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind and grunted instead. Marco shot him a knowing look.

"Okay, this is the truth." Aaron, who'd been pushed out of the circle with all the people trying to get close to JJ, shoved past everyone to place a hand on JJ's shoulder. "Over the summer-"

"Justice Jay!" Aaron huffed and the group groaned as a teacher grabbed JJ's arm.

"Mr. Bowser." JJ smiled up at her favorite teacher. "What's up?"

"Principal Devarre wants to see you."

"What?" JJ exclaimed. "I haven't even had a chance to do anything yet, how am I already in trouble?!"

Mr. Bowser rolled his eyes. "You're not in trouble, just come on. You too, Steven."

JJ shrugged at her friends. "Just tell me later, ya? And she grabbed Steven by the arm and hurried after the teacher.

"But…" Aaron tried, "It'll be too late by then." He finished lamely as he watched his best friend walk away.

"Come on, Aaron." Xander put a warm hand on his shoulder. "She'll find out soon enough. Let's just go find our dads."

"Plus," Marco added, "It'll be funnier this way."

* * *

"Welcome students of Avengers Academy, to the first day of the year! This year will be like no other, and we're very excited about all the new things to come! But before we begin our year, the Vice President, as voted by you, the students, and Secretary, would like to say a few words. Give a big round of applause for Secretary Steven Wilson, and Vice President," The principal paused to cough hesitantly, "Justice Jay."

The students in the bleachers screamed and hollered loudly as JJ and Steven took to the center of the gym.

"Hey guys! I hope you had a great summer!" JJ smiled warmly as she spoke into the mic in her hand. "Mine wasn't too bad, my dad just tried to feed me to a whale."

The Avengers, listening intently to the "glue" of their kids' friend group, from the safety of the hallway, chuckled in surprise. Aaron turned to them.

"She says the weirdest things sometimes." He explained.

"No, true story." JJ continued in the gym. She turned to the tall dark skinned teen at her side. "Steven, how was your summer?"

"It…was interesting." Steven began. "But I'm sure we're all glad to be back in school?!" He tried, but was only met with boos. JJ laughed.

"Come on guys! This year is going to be great!" JJ encouraged the crowd, which pumped at JJ's words, "We're going for first place in every sport," loud cheers and hollers, "best spirit," even more hollers, "And the best senior class in the history of ever!" It was just the seniors that time, but their yelling and screaming deafened even the people in the hallway. The Avengers kids grinned.

"But to help us do that," Steven picked up once the seniors had calmed down, "I think we're going to need to call in some reinforcements." JJ shot Steven a confused look. Where was Steven going? "And what better reinforcements than the people our school was named after?" At Steven's pronouncement the school joined JJ in staring at Steven confused.

"Wait." JJ's voice was uncertain. "Are we resurrecting dead people or something? Cause I'm not about that life."

A few chuckles followed JJ's statement. Thor turned to his kids. "You didn't tell her? He asked surprised.

Xander shook his head. "We tried, but no cigar."

"Not exactly, JJ," Steven began,

"So what? Are we getting mascots?!" JJ got excited, and she began bouncing on the balls of her feet. "YES! I LOVE MASCOTS!"

Silence…then, "Sure, we're getting mascots." Steven agreed. But then he turned to the crowd. "But live mascots!" The crowd still stared at Steven blankly.

"That makes no sense, bruh." JJ spoke bluntly. Then a thought hit her, and she gasped. "It's not what I think it is, right?"

"It might be what you're thinking." Steven guessed with a smile.

"Ohhhh…those punk liars." JJ whirled around, looking for someone. "If you can hear me," She raised her voice, y'all are fired!" Then she took a deep breath, and looked down at the notecard Steven had thrust into her hand. "Introducing," She read, "the very much alive, and "back by popular demand," She add-libbed dryly,

Tony snorted. "I love this chick." He grinned.

"The Avengers!"

There was silence. Then Tony Stark marched into the gym his kids in tow and the other Avengers behind him, and the thunderous applause and roaring began and everyone was so busy cheering on the not dead superheros, that nearly no one noticed JJ huff and march over to sit down in the front row, disgruntled. Xander rolled his eyes and nudged Aaron, who looked at Xander, confused. When Xander tilted his head in JJ's direction, Aaron nodded in understanding and gestured to their parents that they were going to take a seat. Their parents nodded and turned back to finish accepting the applause, and the children converged on the now pouting Justice Jay.

* * *

Tony Stark was _glad_ to be home. It wasn't his first celebrity tour after a torture detail, but  this time he had his comrades by his side, what they've been through in the last 12 years, and he had his kids…his brat of a daughter who was just like him and his son who had so much of his wife in him that Tony believed there really WAS a God; because no one could handle one mini-stark, let alone two. His kids were happy, and well raised, and he'd missed years of their life…but that didn't matter at this point, because he was here, and alive, and...none of it made sense.

* * *

Steve Rogers was _ECSTATIC_ to be home. He'd only ever wanted a family, and when he'd finally had one, it was ripped from his arms. His son looked just like him, and his wife was more beautiful than she'd ever been. His son was him pre-serum, but from the looks of him, Aaron didn't seem to mind much. He'd had a happy life. Nicole, Steve's wife, had made sure of that. Steve just wished he could've been there, but at least he could be now. Unfortunately, there was one more mystery to solve before he could do that completely. What exactly had happened during their escape?

* * *

Clint rolled his eyes as his daughter flirted outrageously with the boy next to her. She was a picture that was for sure. But she had what both him and Tasha had never had; a normal life, for the most part, a loving family, and a good life. She was a clever combination of the two of them, the spy bit subtracted. Leila was in no way a super-secret spy; nor would she ever be, and for that, Clint rejoiced. But he was torn; He was home...

But his wife, whom had died nearly nine years prior in the cage, saving his life...she wasn't here. She would never see their daughter as she was now, bright and spunky and full of life...but then again, he didn't think HE'D ever get to either. And he was floored at how he could stand in front of her, even 3 months later. Who had saved them from the cage?

* * *

Bruce smiled awkwardly, set apart from the rest of his team. During their…stay, their hosts had forced something into him that had curbed the other guy; the hulk hadn't come out to play even ONCE. But whatever they'd stuffed him with there was fully wiped from his system now. The drug had done more than just tame the the other guy though, it had wiped _all_ of his emotions. He missed how the drug kept his other half so calm, but the emotions? He'd missed those more, and he'd missed his son  most.

Benjamin hadn't had the best life; with losing both his parents and then hulking at 12 and having to run away from home, but Bruce thanked his stars that Ben had Dr. Dean Singer. Dean had treated Benjamin well, and had welcomed Bruce's presence into his home happily. Ben called the doctor Uncle Dean, and Bruce was more than happy with that. Bruce was currently staying in Dr. Singer's guest room, so as not to force Ben into more change. It was a happy agreement that would most likely become permanent. (It was always good to have a doctor on hand.) But Bruce couldn't help the questions that plagued his mind. Where had they been, for all those years?

* * *

Thor was….confused. He'd entered into the battle with a home, a wife, and two adorable children. But now…Jane had remarried. She had two other children with her new husband, and the man was brilliant…but very, very odd. And Thor's children. Xander was spoiled, and superior, and much too much like himself. Rhiannon was beautiful and brilliant, much like her mother, but Thor could not relate to cleverness, he didn't lean that way, and Rhiannon was extremely close to her step-father.

Thor no longer knew how to interact with his children, they were strangers to him and he to them. His youngest, not yet born when he'd left, called Jane's new husband "Father," and Thor was loathe to make a fuss about that, when he'd honestly held no part in Lukas' life other than when he was conceived. Thor was glad to no longer be chained, but he could not be certain he was happy to be forced to face this new, strange, reality.

* * *

The team stood in front of a gymnasium full of teenagers, all of them beaming and thundering with applause for the group their school was named after, but the team had eyes only for their kids. They sat together, happy and chattering, trying to cheer up a disgruntled teen; the JJ they'd heard so much about. Nikki sat next to Marco, who watched over her protectively, with Benjamin on Nikki's other side. The next row up sat Aaron, the illusive JJ, the Avengers assumed, though her face was mostly turned away, and Leila. Next to Xander on the third row sat a slew of football jocks on his left and his sister speaking to Max and Steven.

Steve found his attention moving around the group and then forward once more to the young woman at Aaron's side. She looked strangely familiar, but he couldn't place her. Then Thor began to charge forward. Steve grabbed him by the arm.

"Thor? What's up?"

Thor shook, and his mouth opened, but nothing would come out, His gaze was glued to their children, unblinking. Finally, he shook his head.

"I would not speak of it here." Thor finally muttered. "But later…"

Steve nodded firmly. "We'll figure it out later. For now; just smile?"

Thor nodded grimly.

Then he tried to force a smile…but before he could, the fire alarm went off.

Everyone scattered. The team cursed together as one, then moved to get everyone out of the school.

* * *

It wasn't ten feet outside the gym doors that a shout from Xander had the Avengers searching for their kids. Aaron had fallen to his knees in the parking lot, hand clutched tightly to his chest, gasping, and face turning blue.

Steve bolted to his son's side, reaching futilely into his son's pocket for an inhaler that wasn't there.

Aaron grimaced when Steve asked if he had his inhaler somewhere, and before Steve could get frustrated, he was pushed away from his side by a stern looking Xander, who gave him a look, then turned to push the crowd out of the way as JJ slid through the gap to fall to Aaron's side on her butt, pulling his back against her chest and shoving an inhaler into his mouth holding it for him as he inhaled.

"Aaron Rogers, you are fine." JJ spoke certainly. "There's no fire. It's a drill. Breathe. You're embarrassing me. Look at the knees of your jeans. Now you're going to have to change."

The teen's words seemed to work better than the inhaler was, and in a few minutes he was breathing easy, pushing the inhaler away from him. The teen behind him slid away and stood up, holding out a hand to ease him into a standing position. Aaron smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry JJ." He glared down at his jeans. "This wasn't the way I expected the first day to go either."

JJ smiled. "You're lucky I was a boy scout." From out of nowhere she pulled out a pair of jeans, and Aaron beamed. Xander choked.

"What would I do without you?" He joked, taking the jeans from her hand.

"Die, probably." JJ shrugged. "Or starve. Maybe both." Aaron nodded in agreement, then turned to his dad, who immediately moved to put a hand on his chest. He was breathing easy, it felt like. Steve looked his son in the eyes. Aaron looked more embarrassed than anything, and Steve relaxed.

"You're alright, then?" Steve asked, and Aaron nodded. "Still, better let your mom kno-"

"Hey Mrs. Rogers. No, it's fine. Fire drill, this time. No, but I had his spare." JJ held a phone to her ear. Aaron stuck his tongue out at her, and JJ responded by making an ugly face at him. "Sure thing. Here he is." Aaron frowned, but took the phone JJ held out to him.

"Hey mom." Aaron rolled his eyes. "No I'm fine. I had JJ, why wouldn't I be? I know, mom, I forgot. I'll remember it next time, OK?"

Steve smiled at Aaron's exasperated tone, then turned to face the teen, JJ. "That was some quick thinking." He approved.

JJ shrugged, realizing that while the crowd was dispersing, the Avengers and their kids had yet to move, all eyes now focused on her. "Aaron and I have been friends for a long time. I'm used to it." She smiled easily at Aaron, who made a face at her.

Steve held out his hand. "I'm glad Aaron has such a good friend. I'm-"

"I know who you are." JJ smirked, as if she knew something they didn't. She shook his hand firmly. "I'm Justice, or JJ, to pretty much everyone. And we've met."

Steve froze, and JJ laughed. "I work at the Museum of Historical Events, or in other words, the Avengers Museum. I give tours on the life and army history of Captain America about a hundred times a week." Steve relaxed.

"She's really good too, dad. She probably knows you better than you know yourself." Aaron joked, handing the phone back to JJ.

Steve raised a brow at that information. "It's not just you; it's everyone." Xander clarified. "The museum has exhibits on everyone."

"This is true." JJ agreed. "I could recite my tour speeches in my sleep." The she laughed. "According to my mom, I do, actually. The dreams are pretty crazy too."

"You are the same age as Xander?" Thor spoke up suddenly, as if he could no longer contain himself. JJ shot Rhiannon a confused look, and she just shrugged.

"We're in the same grade, so I suppose." JJ turned to Thor." Thor frowned.

Steve patted Thor's shoulder, slightly confused himself. "Well, it was nice to meet you, JJ. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around?"

"Actually," Aaron piped up, but JJ interrupted him, slapping him on the arm.

"If you're going to bring up the kick-off at your mom's I'm gonna punch you." She threatened.

Aaron smirked. "Mom hosts an annual first day of school barbecue, and everyone's invited. It's great fun, everyone comes over,"

"From what I heard you've spent all summer with these guys." JJ pouted. "Aren't you tired of them?"

"Tired of them? Sure," Aaron shrugged.

"But you weren't there, and you complete us, and it's tradition." Leila spoke up.

Xander piped in then. "Are you trying to back out of coming tonight?"

Rhiannon frowned. "You better come." She warned.

JJ rolled her eyes. "I'm still mad at you." She crossed her arms.

"More important than us?" Leila huffed. "You're going to make Ben cry."

Ben let out a pathetic sniffle, and JJ rolled her eyes. "Heaven forbid I make Ben cry!"

"Which you do all the time because you're a horrible person." Xander put in helpfully…albeit randomly.

JJ glared at Xander. "You know who I want to make cry right now?"

Xander smirked. "Come to Dinner tonight and maybe you'll get your chance. See you then." Xander sent his dad a nod, and then marched off. JJ growled.

"If you don't come I'm telling Mom, and she'll come find you and drag you there by your toes." Aaron threatened, and JJ sighed.

"Fine. I'll be there. But I can't stay long." She warned

"You gotta hang out for an hour minimum." Marco demanded, and JJ rolled her eyes.

"Fine!" She threw her hands up in the air. "I'll come over for an hour. Happy?"

"Yes." Aaron beamed.

"I still hate all of you, you punk liars." JJ grunted, marching off. Max rolled his eyes and ran after her.

* * *

Aaron turned to his dad with a grin. "So that's my best friend."

"She's awesome." Tony nodded. "I approve."

"She's legit." Clint agreed. Bruce nodded, but Thor watched her go, eyes narrowed.

"Well." Aaron grinned. "See ya after school dad!"

"Bye son." Steve smiled as Aaron pulled the rest of the Supers with him, and The Avengers watched their children amble away.

"What's up with you Thor?" Steve demanded.

Thor shook his head. "I have a suspicion," He murmured. "I will speak of it when I have more than that." He nodded and walked off.

The rest of the Avengers shared a look.

"Welp." Tony smirked. "My wife is at home, and the kids are at school, and I know what I'd rather be doing." And with those parting words and a little wave, Tony strode off. Steve shrugged, and with much the same idea, moved to his motorcycle.

Clint shrugged and looked at Bruce. "You wanna go see what we've been missing for the last twelve years?" Bruce nodded with a grin.

"Let's go."

* * *

 **So, Senior Year, and our story really begins! You're really getting two stories in one; the childrens senior year, and The Avengers, rejoining their family and trying to bond, and then later, determined to figure out The Cage Mystery. So this story is going to have some HECKA long chapters, lol. Sorry.**

 **P.S. for those who might still be confused, everyone made it out of the cage, except for Tasha. She died, protecting her husband. (Because Clint was the damsel in distress. Sad, I know, but feasibly not everyone could make it out, and I could see Tasha saving Clint, so...)**

 **(ALSO; AOU SPOILER: I started writing this before...brutasha, and I don't even know if I'm down with all of that anyway, so y'all get Clintasha! But I may or may not make Ben's mom a certain someone...cause I really liked her!)**

 **Next two chapters up next FRIDAY.**

 **REMINDER: If you're following my blog; Ready. Aim. Write., You may or may not see some extra content and fun stuff later on down the road. You'll also get first looks at new chapters, stories, and more. It's the best way to keep up with me and my crazy brain! I have the same username on tumblr as I do here! Hope to see you there!**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite, maybe?**

 **LLAP, (Live Long and Prosper,)**

 **~CLC~**


	4. Kick-Off

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

"Xander, stop glaring at the freshmen and please come sit down."

Xander turned from where he stood next to the edge of the balcony, glaring at the students who sat scattered among the various round tables, some focused on eating their lunch, but most with gazes turned upwards, towards the balcony and the group of students that sat up there. He shot his sister a look.

"I can feel them staring." He complained.

"We're Supers." Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "They're always staring." She turned away from Max and Steven, whom she'd been speaking with, to shoot a look her twins' way.

"But it's especially prickling today." Xander complained, crossing his muscled arms and frowning fiercely.

"Maybe that's because your dead dad led the pledge of allegiance today or something." JJ appeared at the top of the stairs, sending Xander a wry look. "That's just a guess, mind you." She shrugged, and moved to the table, high fiving Max and Steven, winking at Rhiannon, and turning to Leila with a grin.

"But I'd step away from the edge, if I were you. A few freshmen nearly fainted when they caught sight of that pouty lip."

Marco and Ben, who'd just ascended the stairs, looked at Xander once before chuckling. Xander rolled his eyes, but moved to the table.

"It wasn't a pout," he grumbled, "It was a fierce frown."

"Sure." Leila mocked, pretending to be supportive. "That's totally what it looked like."

The "Supers settled in at the large circular table then, Aaron appearing in the nick of time to slide into the last open seat, next to JJ, with Marco on his other side.

"How come, without fail, we always manage to sit in the same seats, every year?" JJ asked with a smile.

"Really?" Max scrunched his nose. "Every year?" JJ nodded.

"It's always been like this," Aaron shrugged. "The three Amiga's," He pointed his chicken leg at JJ, Rhiannon and Leila, who sat in that order, "then Ben, because Rhi will almost daily require his brain for some science question or another, then the three bro-migos," Steven, Xander, and Max shared a look, then high-fived each other, "then Marco and I." Aaron shrugged. "This is just the way of life."

"And life never changes?" Rhiannon raised a brow.

"Of course it changes," Ben sputtered. "But we don't usually change it ourselves if we don't have to."

"There's something comforting to be found in the consistent." Steven nodded. "I get it."

"So while it is a new year,"

"And senior year at that," Xander interrupted Marco, grinning,

"This is how we've always sat. It's just another year of high school…same old, same old."

"Tell that to your dead fathers." JJ threw a fry at Marco's head, and he grinned.

"Alright, there is that." He shrugged.

JJ shook her head. "You guys are so nonchalant about the fact that you have zombie parents; and I just can't get over it." She rubbed her nose. "Like, how are you not freaking out?!"

"We've had three months to get used to the idea." Ben shrugged.

"Three long, WEIRD months." Xander added.

Rhiannon shot her brother a look. "It's kind of nice to fall back into this routine, including our same seating plan," She continued, "after all the craziness we've just been through." JJ thought about that for a moment, then she nodded.

"Alright. I feel ya." She rummaged around in her backpack. "But as a future psychologist slash therapist it is my duty to recommend that each of you at some point speak with a professional."

The table groaned as one, and JJ laughed. "Guys, I'm serious. Let me loose on your dead fathers and I'll say the same thing. It's important to have someone to talk to."

"And we have a table full of people in the same boat as us, for the most part." Xander retorted, pointing out Max, Stephen and JJ as the exceptions.

"And they're great for evoking empathy and understanding your current situation." JJ nodded. "Which is all wonderful, but sometimes you need to talk to someone who's there for no other reason than to listen to YOUR problems and help you work through them."

"Isn't that what we all have you for JJ?" Max teased, and the brunette shook her head with a laugh.

"Definitely NOT Maxie, dear," JJ teased. "First of all I'm not a professional, and secondly," JJ shrugged, "I know this will be REALLY surprising, but I am not on this earth to bow down to all of your whims. I've got my own life, you know."

Marco crinkled his nose. "I think it's cute that you think that." He flicked a fry her way, and JJ grimaced.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. That's all I'll say on the subject, but seriously consider talking to someone." JJ advised. Then she grinned. "So, what are the Supers great plans for this next year?"

"Sports and Babes." Max answered immediately, and the three bro-migos grinned and high-fived each other. The rest of the table rolled their eyes.

"Obviously The Beat is going to be the talk of the town." Marco spoke up with a smirk, talking about the performance group he'd started the year before. "Especially with you helping me run it again this year." He widened his brown eyes innocently, and JJ laughed.

"Because the eyes always work." JJ shook her head. "Rhi and Max and Ben are doing it again too?"

Marco nodded. "And Leila of course." He winked at Leila who shook her head.

"Only when I'm not at cheer." Leila warned. She grimaced, and JJ eyed the red-head with concern.

"Something wrong with cheer?" JJ asked.

Leila shrugged. "We didn't have enough girls sign up last year. We have to hold an emergency tryout after school today."

JJ grimaced. "Oh, that sucks."

"Make Rhi try out." Xander advised, then he snickered.

His athletic twin shot him the stink eye. "I would, Lay," She shrugged. "But volleyball keeps me pretty busy."

"Make JJ try out." Aaron commented, and the entire table burst into laughter.

JJ narrowed her eyes. "Why is that funny?" She asked slowly.

"Come on, Jay, you?" Marco chuckled, "A Cheerleader?!"

"That's just too funny." Ben admitted.

Leila stopped mid-laugh, eyes widening. "Actually, Jay, would you?" She beamed. "Having you on the team would be just SO much fun!"

JJ opened her mouth to speak, but Aaron beat her to it.

"Laylay, you know as well as I do that JJ just isn't a sporty person," JJ shot him a glare and he raised his hands. "And neither am I, for obvious reasons." He gestured to his small frame, and JJ shook her head. "She just wouldn't be able to keep up."

JJ turned slowly so she could face Aaron dead on. They shared a silent conversation, and then JJ stiffened.

"What time is tryouts?" JJ asked without turning to Leila.

Leila smiled widely. "3:30. Upper Gym."

JJ stood, still staring narrow-eyed at Aaron, who shrugged. He was right, and he knew it.

"I'll be there." JJ answered simply. Then she grabbed her bag and stomped down the stairs.

"Good Job Aaron." Marco slapped him on the back, and Aaron made a face.

"She's only doing it to make a point." Aaron shook his head sadly. "All she's going to do is end up making a fool of herself in front of everyone."

"And as her best friend, the least you can do is be supportive." Xander crossed his arms.

"Come on, Xan, it is kind of weird." Steven crinkled his nose. "JJ a cheerleader?"

Max started laughing again, and Xander softened, just a little. "Maybe it is weird." He acquiesced. "But if it's something she wants to do, than we should be on her side."

Leila stood. "That's the spirit Xander!" She pulled him away from the table. "Does that mean you're going to be there to support her?"

Xander rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around his "adopted" sister. "Why not?" He gave in. "Practice isn't until later."

Max and Steven shared a look, and then nodded. "We'll be there too." They stood, grabbing their trays.

Rhiannon and Ben, and Aaron and Marco, still seated at the table, shared a look.

"What are the odds that we're not forced to go too?" Ben grimaced.

"0 to none." Marco stood brightly. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

Ben turned to Rhiannon, who shrugged and followed Marco.

"But…Cheerleaders scare me." Ben made a sad face. Aaron laughed.

"It's okay." He sympathized. "JJ scares ME."

* * *

Three months on a remote island had been good for the Avengers to acclimate to life outside the cage.

But Steve was glad to be home.

He loved his wife, and he loved his son, and he loved his house.

The sprawling, two story home, with its blue paint and white trim, it's wide wraparound porch, it's huge and inviting backyard…The house was perfect for a family, perfect for entertaining.

Currently, Steve's home was invaded; Thor and Tony and Bruce stood on the deck chatting amiably with Pepper and Jane, Clint was at the barbeque with Sherlock, his friend John Watson, and a Dr. Dean Singer, and Steve stood with his wife in the kitchen…watching.

"Is it weird?" Nicole asked with a grin.

Steve smiled down at his petite wife and shrugged.

"It's a good weird." He countered.

"It's a good weird for us; the old people." Nicole agreed, cutting up fruit. "For the kids?" She shrugged. "It's more weird than anything else."

Steve turned to where the teenagers sat; at a picnic table underneath the large tree in his backyard. Aaron was in easy debate with Xander and Max, Steven and Ben fiddled with heavy duty looking cameras, and Rhiannon, Leila and Marco whispered with conspiring looks. Sam, Steve's good friend from before, lay on a towel a few feet away from the teenagers, keeping Jane's twins and Thor and Tony's youngest occupied with what looked like an adventure tale.

"It doesn't feel real." Steve murmured. "It feels like I'm standing in front of a bubble; on the outside looking in."

Nicole paused in her cutting to turn and wrap both arms around her husbands neck. She pulled him down for a deep kiss.

"Still feel like you're not an active participant?" She teased as they parted.

Steve smirked. "No…I feel very involved now, thank you."

Nicole smiled. "I wouldn't want you to feel like you can't participate with your own family."

"I'd rather you participate less with each other, actually, at least when you have an audience."

Steve whirled around to see the young woman Aaron called JJ; wearing black slacks and a navy polo that had a silver Avengers logo over the heart. She also wore a slightly disgusted expression.

"An unwilling audience, at that." JJ added.

Nicole grinned and moved towards the young teen. "JJ. Good to see you. I'm glad you could make it." She wrapped the girl in a hug.

JJ smiled warmly and returned the embrace. "You know very well If I hadn't shown up willingly I would've been dragged here." She rolled her eyes as Nicole laughed.

"I do know." She agreed. "I understand you've already met Steve?" Steve stepped forward, slightly surprised by the seriousness in which the teen received him.

"Briefly, and as a part of his team." JJ clarified. She stretched out her hand, and Steve shook it, surprised. "Justice Jay." She grinned. "Though everyone calls me JJ. It's an honor to meet you, Captain."

Steve smiled warmly. The greeting was warm without being too effuse. "Please, call me Steve."

Nicole laughed, and wrapped her arm around his bicep. JJ just grinned cheekily.

"I've been trying to get this punk to call me Nicole since she was nine." Nicole shook her head in mock sadness. "And yet somehow I'm still Mrs. Rogers."

"Blame my father." JJ shrugged. "He's hopelessly formal with everyone."

Nicole chuckled. "I do." She jerked her head towards the back door. "Go on; the kids are waiting for you." JJ smiled, inclined her head in Steve's direction, and made her way outside. The second the kids caught sight of her, they cheered loudly.

Steve shot his wife a look.

"She's not technically a Super," Nicole explained. "But she's the glue that holds those kids together." Nicole shook her head. "I don't want to know where we'd be without her."

Steve nodded slowly, and moved to the deck so he could see how this young woman was received.

* * *

Thor listened wryly as Jane and Bruce talked science, watching his children more than listening in. From the direction Tony's gaze had taken, he was doing much the same thing.

"Do I even want to ask?" Steve stepped forward, and Thor shook his head with a chuckle. Tony shook himself out of his stupor.

"I'm not an idiot, right?" He took a drink out of the beer in his hand. "Listening to them makes me feel like an idiot." He squinted towards the kids. "But seriously, is it just me, or have the number of kids multiplied?"

"There are a few more." Steve chuckled. "But the numbers certainly haven't DOUBLED."

"Oh." Tony took another drink. "Thank God. Who are the newcomers?"

Steve and Thor shared a smirk.

"Steven is Sam's kid." Steve pointed out. "Max is Dr. Watson's son."

"Dr. Watson is a friend of Holmes." Thor added, a bit grudgingly. "My youngest, Luka,"

"Well that's cute." Tony rolled his eyes. Thor smirked but continued, "is with Sam Wilson and your youngest."

"Ah right. I have more than one child." Tony looked flabbergasted for a moment, and Steve snorted.

"What?" Tony shrugged, moving to lean against the deck railing. "Am I the only one who thinks this is beyond weird? It took me five years to get beyond the fact that I had ONE kid, and now I have two teenagers? It's just…"

"Weird?" Tony turned, surprised to realize that everyone in the backyard was watching him. JJ, who'd removed her shoes and rolled up her black slacks, chuckled. "I think everyone would agree with you on that one."

Pepper moved forward to grip Tony's arm. "So calm down maybe?" She hissed.

Thor grimaced and patted Tony's arm. "Come on, Tony." He sympathized. "Let's go see if the food's nearly ready yet."

And as Thor steered Tony to the Barbecue, the party started up again.

* * *

"We're seniors, Mom." Aaron groaned, pulling his red sox hat down over his eyes. "We are NOT eating s'mores."

"Speak for yourself." Xander stood. "I'm down, Aunt Nicole," He grinned brightly, dimple showing up in his right cheek, and Nicole rubbed a hand through Xander's hair.

"I knew you were my second favorite." She dropped a few bags of marshmallows into his lap and handed Rhiannon the graham crackers.

"Whoa. Who's your first favorite?" Ben joked, passing out the sticks. The stars twinkling above them, and the fire the teenagers sat around were their only sources of light.

"Me, obviously." Aaron rolled his eyes and stole the blanket JJ had wrapped around her shoulders.

"Hey!" JJ glared, crossing her arms. Xander huffed and threw the blanket he'd had wrapped around his legs over the fire to JJ, who'd caught it deftly, and it soon replaced the one Aaron had stolen settled around JJ's shoulders.

"Whoa!?" Leila nearly shrieked. "What if JJ hadn't caught that? It would've fallen in the FIRE."

Max snorted, he'd somehow already made three s'mores in the short amount of time he'd had, and was working on his fourth. "Did you see Jay at the cheer tryouts? She's a beast now."

"Which is why she made the team." Rhiannon nodded. "But that doesn't mean it's okay to throw highly flammable objects over the fire." She shot her brother a look, and in jest he adopted the same look.

"Twin moment." Marco rolled his eyes. "You guys are dumb." He flicked a marsmallow towards Ben, who caught it with his mouth. The group cheered.

"Correction;" JJ grinned. "We're all dumb."

Nicole shook her head, standing on the edge of the group of seniors. "You guys are great." She chuckled. "Enjoy your s'mores."

"Thanks Aunt Nicole!" The group chorused as one. JJ's response came a few moments later. She stood and bowed lightly.

"I am extremely appreciative, Mrs. Rogers." She grinned when Nicole pulled her into a half-hug.

"You're welcome all." She smiled. Then she ruffled JJ's hair. "And by the way, Jay is my first favorite."

The group laughed over Aaron's disgruntled "Hey!" And Nicole sent a general wave before escaping to the deck; where the adults and younger children sat, under the glow of scattered lanterns.

"We're so old and domesticated." Clint chuckled.

"Are you complaining already?" Pepper asked wryly. Clint shook his head.

"Oh, no." He smirked. "I'd pick Domestication over the cage any day."

"The cage?" Sherlock brightened. "Is that where you've been?"

Clint grimaced and the Avengers caught each other's eye.

* * *

On the island…The Cage had been a taboo subject. The Avengers were alive, that was all that mattered…The kids didn't really care HOW their dad's were back, just that they WERE, and the mom's really didn't want to know.

But Sherlock was INTRIGUED. He'd never had a space case…even with working with SHIELD for so long.

So he ignored the dark look John shot him in favor of staring Clint down.

But Clint wasn't about to be swayed.

"That's what we called it, yeah." Clint shrugged, and left it at that. Sherlock would've pushed further if not for the group of teenagers suddenly beginning a loud chant…

"STORY, STORY, STORY!"

Nikki and Luka shared a look from where they'd been playing with a few indistinguishable metal parts, and then jumped up, running down the steps to join in the chant. The dark-haired twins that the Avengers couldn't put a name to did the same.

Nicole, Pepper, and Jane shared a grin and stood, John, Sherlock, Dr. Singer, and Sam following suit.

The Avengers looked at each other, confused.

"Jay has the most dramatic voice." Jane patted Thor on the shoulder. "She's been telling the group stories ever since they were all little."

"They're the best stories too." Pepper added. "She makes them up, no idea where she gets such crazy ideas."

"But they've kind of become tradition." Nicole added.

"Isn't it a little early for her stories?" Sherlock muttered, moving to the fire, John and Jane in tow.

"She probably threatened to skip out." Sam chuckled, and Dr. Singer high fived him in agreement. They followed Sherlock and Jane down.

Nicole sent the still seated Avengers a grin and a shrug. "The kids aren't the only ones who like to hear these." She explained simply. She joined the rest of the group around the fire.

Steve stood and moved to the railing, watching as the large group settled together around the picnic table, which JJ had jumped onto so everyone could see her, and raised her voice so they could hear her. He listened partially, more focused on the conversation his teammates had started up…and the railing underneath his hands grew cold as it started to hold more meaning than it should've. That railing was no longer just a piece of wood….it was a line of division.

That's when Steve realized something.

He whirled around to face his teammates, eyes wide.

He hadn't realized he'd been lost in thought so long…but he must've; the lanterns had gone suspiciously low, his team had rearranged themselves, and Tony had two more empty beer bottles next to him than they there'd been before. His team looked to him slowly, confused.

"Guys," He blurt out once he had their full attention.

"We've been benched!"

* * *

Clint narrowed his eyes.

Tony scoffed and took another drink from his beer.

Thor tilted his head.

But Bruce nodded slowly and stood.

"You're right!" He agreed, voice deep. "We've been benched!"

Tony slowly raised a hand.

"Go Back." He demanded. "What do you mean benched?"

Thor nodded, also confused.

But Clint stood, realization dawning. "We took a leave of absence from the game, we've been replaced," Clint whirled around and gestured angrily towards the fire; "and we've been permanently replaced at that." He huffed. "This is horrible."

"Whoa." Tony stood. "I'm not benched."

"Aren't you?" Bruce shook his head. "We all are."

Thor narrowed his eyes. "IF anyone's been benched," He spoke lowly. "It is I."

The Avengers went silent at that. The uneasy silence was broken by a warm, concerned voice.

"Are you all right?" Bruce and the rest of the men turned around. At the edge of the steps stood JJ, a blanket tied around her neck like a cape, a piece of wood held in her hands like a sword. She looked down and shrugged, waving the wood around lightly.

"Props." She explained simply. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I apologize, but I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversation." Thor narrowed his eyes at the young woman in front of him. "Am I to understand that you're worried that your family no longer needs you?"

Clint shrugged. "Well, that's a very simplistic way of putting it," he crossed his arms, and JJ's eyes narrowed.

"Meaning that your families had to adjust the starting lineup due to your absence and has become so accustomed to the new lineup that they're not going to just toss it out in favor of bringing back the outdated one; leaving the former star players benched until further notice?"

Tony snorted. "Exactly." He reached for another beer and with a frown, JJ handed him a bottle of water instead. Tony grimaced but took it. "I think I like the simpler version," He admitted honestly after a long swallow.

JJ chuckled and turned to look back at the large group around the fire. "Allow me to give you some hope then." She smiled at the fathers her best friends were just now getting to know. "It's not that they value their new players over you; it's just that there is an adjustment process for everyone involved; the new players have to realize that they're important to the team in their own right and were never replacements for you, and you need to realize that the game has changed, and the rules are different. Eventually; a new starting lineup will emerge; one that has everyone on it and in the positions best suited for them. But that lineup will only emerge through hard work, genuine team building, and the amount of dedication put in by all players involved." JJ bowed lightly as she finished speaking, smirking.

"Wow." Bruce said after a long moment. "I think that was the most reassuring thing I've heard since I've gotten back." He admitted.

Clint narrowed his eyes and stepped forward to poke JJ in the shoulder. "Are you sure you're only 17?" He asked suspiciously. JJ laughed, brown eyes sparkling.

"I am certain." She promised.

"You speak with a wisdom beyond your years." Thor inclined his head. "Thank you for your words."

JJ inclined her head as well, in Thor's direction. "The wisdom I speak with is a result of interning in a therapist's office three days a week for the last year and a half." She fished something out of her pocket and handed it to Steve. "Which speaking as a future therapist and doing what I consider my duty as well as my right; I highly suggest you all speak with a professional at some point or another." The Avengers grimaced, and JJ smiled, expecting the response.

"It is only a suggestion,"

"But it's a good one." Steve admitted. "Thank you."

JJ bowed lightly once more. "Have a good evening, gentlemen." She pulled the blanket off from around her shoulders and placed it on a deck chair, then moved to screen door.

* * *

"I just realized," Thor spoke up slowly, "that I should head up to Asgard on the morrow."

JJ froze. "You've decided then?" She whirled around to face Thor.

Thor narrowed his eyes. "Decided what?"

JJ narrowed her eyes as well. "You've decided how you plan to respond to the regime changes in Asgard."

Thor crossed his arms, and his eyes narrowed further. "What regime changes?"

JJ observed him closely for a few moments, and then her face went carefully blank. She nodded once, then breathed a sigh of relief when Sherlock stepped onto the deck.

The curly dark-haired man paused when he noticed the look on JJ's face.

"Justice?" He spoke lowly. "What is it?"

JJ smiled tightly. "I've just been made aware that the team," JJ jerked her head towards the Avengers, who all stood looking thoroughly confused, "Are still as of yet unaware of certain changes that have occurred in Asgard the last twelve years." She raised her eyebrows meaningfully. Sherlock nodded immediately.

"A situation to be corrected immediately." He promised. JJ grinned.

"Wonderful." She eyed the blanket she'd removed from her shoulders, and picked it up. "I'm taking this." She decided suddenly. "I will see you soon, Sherlock." She waved. "Gentlemen." She nodded at the Avengers…and then she was gone.

The Avengers turned to look at Sherlock, who stood uncertainly for a moment. Then he moved back to the stairs. "I will fetch Jane." He informed them from over his shoulder.

His next statement was muttered to himself, but the Avengers heard nonetheless.

"Better the news come from her than I."

Thor shared a nervous look with his teammates.

What news?

* * *

 **Eheheheheh, So...More bad news for Thor! (Or maybe it's good news?) Also, JJ's really talking up THERAPY. Wonder if anyone will take her up on it? Also, CHEER, haha! (I was a cheerleader for a while...not a very good one, but still, haha.)**

 **Next two chapters up next FRIDAY.**

 **REMINDER: If you're following my blog; Ready. Aim. Write., You may or may not see some extra content and fun stuff later on down the road. You'll also get first looks at new chapters, stories, and more. It's the best way to keep up with me and my crazy brain! I have the same username on tumblr as I do here! Hope to see you there!**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite, maybe?**

 **LLAP, (Live Long and Prosper,)**

 **~CLC~**


	5. Asgardian Justice

**I'm SO BEHIND!**

 **Much Apologies!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Asgard**

Thor….didn't know what to think.

Not only are his children nearly grown, but his wife has remarried, moved on with pretty much his _polar opposite…_

And now this?

His brother…His _dead_ brother, the criminal….the ruler of Asgard?

It was too much.

Asgard was probably in ruins, Loki the dictator of a fallen golden realm, his friends were most likely imprisoned simply for having been his friends…

Never mind that Jane had assured him that Loki had changed, that he was now, if not a good man, then a just ruler. Never mind that Jane had informed him in confidence that while Loki didn't interact with his children that the man had provided for them financially ever since Thor had first disappeared, that Loki had ensured his children never wanted for anything, that Loki to this day maintained a peaceful alliance with the planet earth and was often seen around town on business, that Loki apparently had an online fan club that was more than quadruple the Avengers own….

This was Loki, and Thor feared the worst.

What he encountered once his feet had fallen on Asgardian soil was quite the opposite.

* * *

The first Asgardian Thor saw was Heimdall.

The man looked the same as ever, still stoically guarding and protecting the realm. Thor grinned widely, and Heimdall did much the same. After a long and warm embrace, Thor had asked his good friend urgently.

"And what of Asgard? What of Loki?"

Heimdall had gazed at Thor searchingly.

"What is it you most fear?" The man had asked slowly, and Thor had answered immediately.

"That Loki has brought Asgard to ruin. That harm and war have befallen on this land, and that Loki has ruled careless and ruthlessly."

Heimdall had grinned. "Then you have nothing to fear."

Thor tilted his head. Heimdall clasped Thor on the shoulder.

"The King has heard of your return. He knows you are here." Thor straightened. "He and all of Asgard wait to welcome you home in the Grand Hall." Heimdall winked. "I advise you take the long route. Put your fears to rest."

* * *

Thor had taken his friends advice, and to his relief…and his confusion, he found all of his fears without warrant.

Asgard was as glorious as it had always been, more so, if Thor had been in a better mood. There was no sign of destruction, no evidence of war or abuse.

The realm was as it always was, and as his fears fell away, they were replaced with a faint hope.

After staring at the Palace for a long while, he shook himself out of his thoughtful stupor, and determined, marched towards the grand hall.

Thor had made a decision regarding the "new regime" as JJ had put it the night before…He was going to wait to make a decision until he saw Loki, and how the people responded to his presence….then he would make a decision.

So he made his great entrance, going entirely by the seat of his pants, Mjolnir clutched tightly in his hand.

* * *

Loki was standing in front of the throne, dressed in his signature colors, a golden scepter in hand. He watched Thor's approach, face impassive. To Thor's surprise, the Warriors 3 and Lady Sif stood directly to Loki's left; where the King's most honored advisors were to stand in displays such as this. He raised a brow in their direction. The three smiled and Fandral winked, but the Lady Sif made direct eye contact, and then nodded slowly, her eyes darting once towards Loki before she too, allowed herself a smile, albeit a small one.

Thor nodded in understanding, then took in the rest of the room.

The people of Asgard, lined in up rows, didn't seem afraid, or angry. They looked happy, but anxious, as they waited to see how Thor would react. Thor then turned back to Loki.

Loki looked every inch the prestigious ruler. More than that, he looked comfortable, and relaxed…and sane.

The edge of Loki's mouth twitched into what could've been called a smile, and that involuntary gesture was what made Thor's decision for him.

There were no words…not yet, anyway, so Thor made do with his actions. When he was about ten feet from his brother, he placed his hammer over his heart, lowered his head in subservience, and knelt.

With his gestures, Thor accepted Loki as the Ruler of Asgard.

Instead of calling for Thor to rise, as was customary, Loki strode forward. When Thor raised his head, Loki held out his hand. Thor allowed his brother to help him rise, the two smiled ruefully at each other, and without conscious thought, both brothers wrapped their arms around the other.

All of Asgard cheered and roared at the sight.

Asgard was safe. Asgard was whole.

And Thor was home.

* * *

 **Loki**

The words came later.

They were not nice words; and the words were more often spat or roared than they were spoken, but eventually the last fourteen years and beyond of differences between the brothers had been aired, Thor had been updated on what Loki and Asgard had been up to, and Loki had been debriefed on what Thor had been through and where he'd been kept.

Loki was not who he'd been; no longer angry and bit and filled with childlike resentment. Thor was no longer so arrogant of foolhardy, and the two had been through much in the time they'd been separated. When Loki had spoken of a truce; Thor had been surprised…but also relieved. He'd agreed easily.

Once the brothers reached their truce and the tension dissolved, the brothers moved to lighter topics.

Thor reclined on a dark green chaise, Loki was sprawled in a large gray armchair, and the two brothers nursed their drinks, speaking of unimportant topics.

The Warriors 3 and Lady Sif were indeed Loki's most trusted advisors, as were two magic-wielders who had not been present at the ceremony but whom Thor remembered and was quite fond of. While the Warriors 3 had settled somewhat into families, (even Fandral, surprise, surprise,) the Lady Sif maintained herself as the most fearsome warrior in all the land.

"She remains unmarried." Loki mentioned lightly, and Thor chuckled. "Just so you are aware." Loki smirked. Then he sighed. "I suppose I should also inform you…Asgard recognizes a new heir to the throne."

Thor tilted his head. The news should've made him…angry? But he no longer wanted the throne, and his children's home was Earth, not Asgard. He inclined his head in his brother's direction.

"And this heir would be?"

Loki sighed. "An orphaned child from the Realm Midgard." Thor raised his brows in surprise. "I took her on as a ward when I ran into her during a business excursion not ten years ago."

"She lives here?" Thor asked, but Loki shook his head. "When she was younger she maintained her education on Midgard while making Asgard her home, but once she reached the second tier of the three level education system Midgard has, ("middle school" Thor revised in his head,) she requested to live full time on Midgard for the rest of her education career."

Thor pursed his lips. "And what did you do then?"

Loki sighed and stood, pacing. "I understood her request, but could not very well relocate with her; so I set about searching for a guardian that could keep watch on her while I was here." He hesitated. "I thought about asking"

"Jane?" Thor inferred. Loki shrugged. "I thought she might not mind; but I'd rather no one know my Heir was living so far out of my protection,"

"So who'd you find?" Thor asked.

Loki grimaced. "Her biological father." Thor sat up, surprised. "He lived?"

"But knew nothing of her existence." Loki added. "He relished the opportunity to get to know her, and we worked out a custody arrangement that suited the both of us." Thor snickered.

"You're co-parenting a teenage daughter with another man?"

"And have been, for 6 years." Loki retorted, though his mouth twitched. "It's odd, but it works. My daughter is being trained for the throne of Asgard and will most likely maintain Asgard as her permanent residence immediately following her graduation."

Thor nodded. "I won't deny this is a surprise. You with a Midgardian child?" Thor shrugged. "But I did not want the throne fourteen years and I do not want it now. If Asgard recognizes her, then so do I."

Loki relaxed. "Asgard recognizes her more readily than they do I," he admitted readily. "Lady Sif is under the belief that the only reason they still recognize myself is so that the Princess will be their Heir."

The door opened a moment later and Lady Sif stepped inside. "It's the truth." She smiled, and Thor stood. "Thor, it is good to see you." She inclined her head. "Loki, your presence is requested."

Loki sighed and nodded.

"Ah yes, the council meeting. I will see myself there." He nodded. "Thor will be staying for awhile. Make sure his quarters have been prepared," Loki winked. "And then keep him company." Sif rolled her eyes, but Thor flushed.

"And brother?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "This is your home. Stay as long as you wish." Thor smiled and nodded, and his brother hurried off with a swish of his dark robes. Sif shook her head.

"Feels weird, doesn't it?" She asked wryly.

Thor shook his head with a chuckle. "You have no idea."

* * *

 **Gut Thing**

"Xander, I will cut you up into little pieces and feed you to a robot army." JJ threatened.

"Jay, I'd like to see you try." Xander crossed his arms and smirked. "Also, you know I'm right."

"No, I don't KNOW that," JJ seethed, crossing her arms. "And I don't like your TONE."

"JJ, calm yourself." Aaron hid his smile. JJ's random bursts of anger were so funny…when they weren't directed at him. "Xander's not saying you're idea is bad, persay,"

"He's just saying HIS idea is better." Stephen corrected.

"And it IS." Xander nodded. He turned to address the table; the Avengers Academy Student Government. "The hotel ballroom and balcony is the BEST place for the Halloween dance."

"And I don't disagree." JJ argued. "I just don't think we should put down that deposit just yet."

"If we don't, we might not get the room." Shona, the treasurer, spoke up.

"Then where do we go?" Stephen added.

JJ huffed. "I just…have this gut instinct that says we need to wait."  
Aaron scoffed. "Really?"

JJ crossed her eyes at Aaron. "Yes, really."

"Well," Xander spoke up easily. "Then we'll just wait a week."

JJ narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Xander.

"Wait a week for what?" Stephen asked exasperated.

"For JJ to run off a bit of that gut." Xander reasoned. Steven and Aaron burst out laughing and Shona's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Less gut, less instinct, right?" Xander nodded brightly. JJ's eyes widened and she shook a finger at Xander threateningly before leaving the room.

Aaron and Stephen made a face, then Aaron stood to follow his best friend out.

"Good one, man." Stephen patted Xander on the back, and Xander's face went from vaguely amused to horrified in less than two seconds. "Did I just…"

"Call JJ fat?" Stephen finished helpfully. "Yes you did." He chuckled. "It was great."

"I'm gonna die." Xander whispered.

"Yes you are." Stephen laughed again. "I'll miss you." He said as he left the room as well.

Xander turned to Shona, who was glaring at him. "Don't pay the deposit until next Wednesday," Xander ordered.

Shona rolled her eyes but nodded, before slamming the lid of her laptop shut and leaving as well.

Xander took a moment to slam his head against the wall.

He was an idiot.

* * *

A week later, the hotel the Avengers Academy were going to use had been in the news for embezzling all their funds and running a drug cartel out of the basement. It had gone under, and had the Academy paid the deposit when they'd planned, they would've lost that deposit.

JJ didn't even gloat to Xander about having been right.

Mostly because she still wasn't speaking to him.

* * *

 **B***y**

"I don't actually understand why we have to do this."

"Because the public is panicking and if we do the interview on our terms we control what the public hears."

Tony shot Bruce a look. "I didn't want a logical reason."

Bruce smirked. "Too late."

"Do you even own a pair of jeans?" Clint shot Bruce a look, and Bruce shook his head.

"No I don't. And I'm proud of that fact."

"Guys. Cool it, please?" Steve asked exasperated. The team stepped into the offices of the magazine "The Arrow, and the moment they stepped through the door, the many reporters milling about stood and clapped. Steve smiled bashfully and Clint ducked his head. Bruce pretending it wasn't happening and Tony accepted it as his due. A young woman wearing a light gray skirt and matching suit jacket strode forward.

"Captain?" She asked, blue eyes bright. Steve nodded and stepped forward. "Miss Lewis?" The woman nodded and held out her hand.

"We spoke on the phone." She smiled. "This must be your team." She nodded at the Avengers before gesturing with her hands. "Let's talk in my office."

"I understand you'd like to do an interview." The woman, Keira Lewis, stared intently at men seated around her desk. "You understand that here at The Arrow, we work at the highest level of reporting." She spoke seriously.

Steve nodded. "And that's why we came to you." He answered just as seriously. "We understand that there is a lot of speculation that surrounds our reappearance, and though we don't have all the answers ourselves, we'd like to put the rumors to rest." Steve leaned forward, and the other men sat in supportive silence. "Ma'am, I've read your latest edition cover to cover, and I'm impressed. Specifically with the tasteful way in which you reacted to our reappearance and the respectful way in which you addressed our families. Because of this respect and show of taste, we'd like to give you an exclusive."

Keira nodded. "There's only one reporter I trust to write this story." She pulled out a pad of paper from her desk and began scribbling on it. "But you can't meet with him at the office."

"Why?" Tony asked, intrigued.

Keira smirked. "He doesn't ever come in. I send him his assignments, he writes them, emails them to me, and then I publish them." She stood. "He's not overly fond of showing his face to a bunch of nosy by profession individuals."

"Why?" Clint chuckled. "Is he ugly?"

"Quite the contrary." Keira shook her head. "But he has secrets of his own." She ripped the paper she'd been writing on in half, then handed it to Steve.

"In my opinion, he's the reporter he is because he understands secrets more than most." She nodded to the paper. "Meet him at that bar, tomorrow at nine am. It'll look closed, but the door will be unlocked." She moved around the desk to shake Steve's hand once more.

"Be gentle with him." She advised. "He's skittish." Steve narrowed his eyes, but nodded nonetheless.

* * *

The next morning, the Avengers, sans Tony this time, (Pepper had need of him that day,) entered the dimly lit bar, more than a little bit curious. Clint was the first one to notice the man seated at a table in the corner, scribbling away in a notebook, a baseball cap keeping his face from sight. Clint strode forward, ready to get this farce over with, but he paused as his gaze caught on the man's arm.

"What?" Steve asked, stopping beside Clint. The man heard them and stood, wary and gaze for one person only.

Steve's mouth dropped open, and his eyes began to water.

Bucky Barnes smiled wryly at his best friend.

"Hey Steve."

* * *

It took three hours before Steve had gleaned enough information out of Bucky before the interview could even begin, and Clint, and Bruce had listened avidly the entire time. While the Avengers had spent 14 years fighting for their lives, Bucky had spent 70 being tortured and used as a mindless tool. The group had much to talk about in that regard, and then the interview had really began. Steve left the bar with an extra bounce in his step. Life was weird, and uncertain, but Steve was alive, and he had his son, and his team…and Bucky.

Now Bucky was there too.

* * *

 **Instinct**

"One thing that can be said about our clique." Marco pulled up a chair around the only table still set up on the ground floor after school a few days after the hotel fiasco that JJ's gut had forewarned, "is that we're not racist."

Ben furrowed his brow. "Why would anyone even say that?" He argued.

Marco shrugged. "Well…no one does. But if they WANTED to…they couldn't. Because we're not."

"And who says we're not racist?" Leila rolled her eyes, dressed in her usual cheer practice clothes; cheer shorts and an Avenger Academy t-shirt. Her red-blonde hair was pulled into a high bun, with her bangs bobby-pinned out of her face.

"I mean," Marco grunted, "Just look at us. Ben's Asian."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Half," he argued.

"Yeah, half Asian." Leila smirked, and Ben rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to the cheerleader.

"And Stephen's black." Stephen had just entered the cafeteria, and with no explanation for what they were talking about, he just shook his head and stayed silent.

"And then JJ is," Marco narrowed his eyes and looked at JJ, dressed similarly to Leila but with her dark brown curls in a ponytail. "Wait…what are you?"

Rhiannon chuckled. "She's brown, obviously."

"But brown because of what?"

JJ narrowed her eyes. "My birth mom was a Mexican-Native-American. My MOM-mom is Russian?" She made a face. "He might be a gypsy."

"I still can't believe you call your biological father Mom." Xander snorted. JJ leveled a glare his way. He flushed.

"I…I just came in to see what was taking Stephen so long." He muttered. Stephen rolled his eyes and grabbed a few chairs, then followed Xander out.

"It is kinda weird." Aaron spoke up.

JJ shrugged. "My adopted dad claimed the title Dad when I was 7. Three years later when I met my biological dad…the only option left was to call him mom."

"That was definitely NOT the only option." Ben argued.

JJ just grinned.

"Anyway, now that we're officially not racist and JJ is officially weird, The Beat performance group meeting needs to come to order starting now!" Marco smacked the table a few times, then turned to Rhiannon. She pulled out a few documents.

"Marco was clever enough to advertise our group early enough that we now have too many people who'd like to schedule us."

"I vote we still do the once-a-month performances at that "Bakery Bar," Ben nodded.

"Because they give us free desserts?" Leila teased. Ben winked. "Exactly."

"Also, most of our peers go there; and I think a regular event would be really helpful to increasing our fanbase." Max added.

JJ shot him a look. "That's extremely intelligent." Max shrugged. "If I want to join the Academy, I have to use my brain sometimes," he grinned, and Rhiannon snorted.

"Good luck with that." She rolled her eyes. "Alright, so we do the Bakery Bar once a month, I advise we do some sort of charity event/volunteer performance on a monthly basis as well."

"Agreed." JJ nodded. "It's good press and good for us."

"So, without overloading ourselves, I say we do only add one new venue a month, and then anything school related as it comes." Marco concluded. "Good work everyone."

"So Ben can take Leila and go tell the Bakery Bar we're stoked to accept their invitation to continue performing there, Max and I will go steal, I mean, get ahold of, the list of student events we'll be playing at, and everyone will brainstorm potential charity/volunteer events." Marco said, looking pointedly at JJ as he spoke about volunteering. She smirked and nodded. "Now, before we disband and everyone gets to where they're supposed to go; let's decide on the new venues for the next three months."

Rhiannon passed around papers that listed the potential events, and the team looked them over.

"This is going to sound weird," JJ spoke first, "but I think we should do The Spiel."

Everyone grimaced at that.

"That creepy old bowling alley?" Leila shuddered. "Why would say that?"

"I dunno." JJ shrugged. "Just an instinct thing. I think it would be a good idea to perform there." She grinned. "Good things will come of it."

"Based on your instinct?" Marco snorted.

"I would listen to her." Xander spoke up, face slightly red. "Her instincts have merit."

JJ narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing in here?" She crossed her arms. "No one likes you."

Xander put his hands in his pockets and let out a half smile that highlighted his dimple. His blue eyes sparkled. "Everyone likes me." He argued lightly.

JJ rolled her eyes, and Xander ran a hand over his close-cropped blond hair, gone spike from the Football helmet he'd probably just been wearing. He mumbled something, then straightened. "Anyway, Max, Coach says he needs you back now." Max nodded, sent the group at the table a peace sign, then ambled away.

"But do listen to Jay." He advised. "Those instincts are something else."

"What? No fat joke this time?" JJ raised a brow. Xander threw up his hands and stomped away.

"Okay." Marco said after a few moments. "We'll do The Spiel."

"You know, Xander was right." Rhiannon added. "Everyone likes him."

JJ snorted. "Don't remind me. Come on Leila, let's go jump around for three hours."

Leila stood and sent the group a shrug. "See ya guys!" And she followed JJ out of the cafeteria.

Marco waved the rest of the group away, promising to nail down the next two months by Friday and get them a schedule, then sat for a moment.

He'd heard what Xander had mumbled under his breath, when no one was listening.

He'd said out loud, "Everyone likes me."

But then he'd mumbled, "Except the one person **I** like."

Marco smirked.

Interesting. Very interesting.

* * *

 **Wait...WHAT? Xander and...JJ?**

 **NO!...Yes?**

 **Well, We'll just see, won't we?**

 **OH MY WORD LOKI AND THOR AND ASGARD AND SKNFOEINWEINEKENLINIONI...AND SIF?! LDNFEWOIMEIOJEI**

 **So much, haha.**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **LLAP,**

 **~CLC~**


	6. Nightmares and Feels

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Meeting of the Mothers**

"Hello, Mrs. Stark, it's been a while since you've been in!" Pepper smiled tiredly at Norah, the pretty blonde hostess that worked at Pepper's favorite lunch spot.

"It has been awhile." Pepper agreed.

"Just you today, or will the rest of the ladies be joining you?" Norah asked with an understanding smile.

"It'll be the group today." Pepper nodded, and Norah just smiled and grabbed the appropriate number of menus before leading Pepper towards her usual table. Pepper dismissed Norah with a smile and the woman moved back to her spot.

Pepper sighed and leaned her head back for a moment. This was why she kept coming to this place…the staff were discreet and welcoming, the food delicious, and the atmosphere blessedly quiet!

"Pepper, please tell me you knew about this." Pepper sighed as her moment of silence disappeared and opened her eyes to see Nicole, clasping a newspaper tight to her chest.

Ah. The article. "I didn't, actually." Pepper shook her head, and under the table, removed her heels.

Nicole huffed and plopped into a chair. "Thank goodness."

"You didn't want to be the only one blindsided?" Pepper asked dryly, and Nicole smirked.

"Exactly." She pulled off the navy pea coat she wore, revealing her usual work outfit, a bright blouse (yellow today,) and gray slacks. Her nude heels came off almost as fast as Pepper's had, and she breathed in relief once they were free.

"Am I the only one who thinks these guys are off their rockers?" Jane arrived, wearing black nike capris and a bright pink running jacket. Her hair was in a high pony and her cheeks were flushed.

"You saw the article?" Pepper asked dryly. Jane huffed.

"I saw it right after I hung up the phone with you." She admitted, settling into a chair. "I was so furious, Sherlock suggested I go for a run."

Nicole snorted. "Well, the guy's not a genius for nothing." Jane smirked.

"Ladies? Mind if I cut in and take your drink orders?" Norah asked with a smile, and the women paused to order their drinks; iced tea for Pepper, a real tea for Jane (Sherlock was a bad influence,) and a coffee for Nicole. When Norah moved on, Nicole sighed.

"I'll be the first to admit that the article is extremely well-written." She sighed.

"And of all the newspapers they could've gone to, The Arrow is the best of the best." Jane input. "Sherlock's had a few dealings by them; and they're the only print news he'll tolerate."

Pepper sighed. "I've worked closely with the paper, and I do highly recommend them."

"The problem is the men did this without us." Jane got to the crux of the matter, and Nicole nodded.

"They even got a comment from Thor, and he's not even on the planet!" She huffed.

"We can all agree that the article was a good idea," Pepper added, "But we should've been informed."

"I understand there's an adjustment period, but come on!" Nicole huffed. "When do the fathers of our children stop acting crazy!?"

"Never." The dry voice that interrupted them had the women looking up with a smile.

Nana White was Leila's adoptive grandmother; and she was the wisest person on the planet. She also, despite her name, wasn't white. Her mocha colored skin came from her native America descent and her dark hair was streaked with gray.

Pepper shrugged at the other women. "I thought we could use reinforcements," She admitted, and Nana White sat down with a regal nod.

"Of course you do." She looked up, and Norah materialized at her side. "Ma'am? What can I get for you?"

"Water. With Ice." She sent the women's drinks a scathing look, and Pepper hastened to add,

"Waters all around, would you please." Norah nodded quickly, smiling when Nana white turned her attention to the hostess turned waitress. "Now, tell me, did that foolish young man of yours propose?"

Norah's smile widened. "He did ma'am, just this last weekend." Nana white sniffed.

"About time too." She crossed her arms. "Well? Let me see it?" She demanded, and Norah smiled and showed the old woman her engagement ring. Nana white eyed it closely, then sat back.

"Not entirely foolish, he is then." Nana White decreed, and Norah nodded in agreement.

"Off with you then, fetch those waters." Norah nodded, suddenly remembering, and Nana White turned her attention to the three women in front of her.

"Now that her foolish young man is taken care of; let's speak about your foolish men."

"We're at a loss, Nana." Nicole began. "It's like we don't even recognize them."

Nana White snorted. "Well of course you don't! They spend fifteen years running around like hooligans; they've forgotten their training." Nana White reached for her water just as Norah placed it in front of her. The group paused to place their orders, and then Nana White resumed the conversation. "You'll have to retrain them." She added with a note of finality. "Until you do, they'll run rampant, worse than your children do, leaving the planet and writing silly articles without your permission."

"They don't really need our permission," Pepper spoke up, but Nana White shook her head.

"Sweetheart, your relationship is no longer a democracy. It is a dictatorship, and you three," Nana White sent them a stern look, "are in charge. You have been since they disappeared, and you'll not step down just because they're back. That is not the women I raised."

Nicole, Pepper, and Jane shared a smile.

* * *

Nana White had shown up and introduced herself at the absolute worst moment of their lives; mere weeks after the war had come to its devastating conclusion, and the day of the Avengers combined funeral. Her daughter-in-law and son had just been awarded custody of little Leila Barton, and they'd brought the young girl to the funeral. Sharon White had remained standoffish, but Nana White and her son Theo had shaken their hands warmly and promised to keep Leila in touch with the group. Nana White had taken one look at the weeping mothers and decided then and there that she would help see them through. She'd said that very thing to them; and she'd kept her word. She watched Aaron when Nicole was in school, had convinced Nicole to go back to school in the first place, because the very first hero Aaron should see is not his father; but his mother. So Nicole had gone back, and Nana White had helped. When Pepper contemplated leaving the company, Nana White had talked her off the ledge and helped her realize that she could be both mother and CEO, that dreams should not and would not be put on hold for children, but lived out FOR them.

* * *

"Children would not follow their dreams if their parents did not do so first." Nana White reminded them daily.

Nana White was also the one who demanded Sherlock pursue Jane, and had eased Jane into a new relationship with the reminder that "It does not do to to die while still breathing and forget to live."

And when Nana White's only son and daughter-in-law died, the women were there to see Nana White through.

If the Avengers had formed an eclectic family, then Nana White was most certainly the matriarch, and her word was law.

So when Nana White's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms, the group of mothers in front of her waited patiently for her decree.

"I understand the article is the straw that broke the camel's back." She finally spoke. "But the article is nothing if not well-written, informative, and respectful. So what else is the problem?"

"The men are hesitant to interact with the kids." Pepper spoke up. "Tony makes it a point to be present, but he doesn't interact with them. He watches, but doesn't speak."  
"The same with Steve." Nicole added. "He's always home by the time Aaron gets out of school, but besides the occasional pat on the back and a how was your day? He just stands back and lets me do all the parenting."

Nana White nodded. "I understand your vacation went well?" She changed the subject abruptly, and the women followed her train of thought obediently. Nana White always had a point.

"It was wonderful." Jane grinned. "The kids had a great time."

"And was the interaction level similar or different than it is now?" Nana asked. Pepper grimaced.

"It was much the same." She admitted.

"Just as I thought." Nana White nodded. "They've grown comfortable in their voyeuristic tendencies. You must break them."

Jane furrowed her brows. "You mean break them of the habit?" She rephrased. Nana White glared.

"I meant what I said." She sniffed. "You must break them. Only after they are broken will you be able to shape them into the men they should be."

"But how do we break them?" Pepper asked, bemused.

"First you must weaken their defenses." Nana explained.

Nicole snorted. "That'll be easy."

Nana narrowed her eyes. "Why do you say that?"

"Ever since school started up for the kids, the men have been having nightmares." Pepper detailed. "Jarvis has informed me that Clint and Tony often stay up for hours at a time, only to pass out exhausted and wake up screaming."

"Steve's the same, and I heard Dean complaining to John that Bruce has been doing the same." Nicole added.

"And when Thor and I spoke yesterday he mentioned having difficulties sleeping."

Nana White's eyes darkened. "They have been suffering for weeks and you have not yet used this to your advantage?" Nana asked.

"They've been through a lot," Jane tried to explain, but Nana shook her head.

"You cannot stand by passive and HOPE things change." Nana argued. "You must show your men how strong you really are, and you can only do that through your actions. Strike while the iron is hot, I always say." Nana White leaned forward conspiratorially. "The men stand on a tall mountain, at the very edge. These nightmares have taken their focus off of you; giving you the opportunity to-"

"Push them over?" Nicole joked, but Nana snapped her fingers.

"Exactly!"

"So they fall and die?" Jane asked, slightly scandalized.

Nana snorted. "So they fall and break." She corrected. "So they may be reshaped."

"By reshaped, you mean," Nicole raised her eyebrows.

"Force them to bond with their children and take an active role in their families, deal with the stress and any anxieties still in place from their unplanned excursion, and in the process, take care of the nightmares." Nana nodded decisively, and the women shrugged.

It sounded good to them.

"So how do we push them off?" Pepper took a sip of her iced tea, then a larger sip of her water.

Nana sat back with a smirk.

"That my dears, is the simple part."

Her eyes gleamed.

"You introduce them to me."

* * *

 **A Fundraiser Collaboration**

"I can't believe we made it to the championships!" Steven grinned, turning to high five Max. Xander rolled his eyes.

"Of course we made it." He grinned. "Our team's been on fire all year."

"You haven't won yet." JJ crossed her arms. She wiggled, obviously uncomfortable in the maroon and white cheer uniform she wore. "You still have to beat East High."

"Really?" Aaron snorted. "East High is the worst team in the league. We're in."

"Says the football manager who's been taking stats all season." Max added. "So it's obviously going to happen."

"Of course, Aaron's always right." JJ slumped in her chair, then straightened. "Alright then, let's get this meeting started. What are we even fundraising for?"

"Transportation," Leila prompted. "The team is covered but we'd like to offer a bus or two that will take fans to and from the games so they don't have to drive and we have a decent fan section."

"Shirts; we want said fans to be decked out in fan gear and if we can sell and maybe enough have enough so that we can give each fan a free shirt for showing up; our side will look awesome."

"And I'm here because you're hoping The Beat will perform for free." Marco rolled his eyes.

"And I'm here because you want The Beat to perform and know that I'm ACTUALLY the one you have to go through." Rhiannon jumped in with a smile, and Marco huffed.

"Exactly." Aaron grinned. "So; this fundraiser,"

"Can we call it a Rally?" Ben looked up from where he'd been drawing in a notebook.

Max nodded. "I like Rally."

"Rally's good." Leila sniffed. "But where are we holding this event? Because no offense, but the school is kinda been there, done that."

"The Bakery Bar!" Ben jumped in with a grin, and everyone groaned.

"Ben," Xander shook his head. "Just…No."

Ben wilted, and JJ laughed and sat up. "Well, The Beat performed at The Spiel last weekend,"

"Ew." Steven crinkled his nose. "That creepy old bowling alley?"

Leila nodded. "Right?" Then she shrugged. "Actually, it's not creepy or old anymore."

"It's definitely still a bowling alley," Marco put in. "But they have a new owner now, and he totally renovated the place. It's so cool inside."

"We actually had a really great time." Rhiannon added. She turned to JJ. "I'm really glad you suggested the place."

JJ grinned. "My instincts, much like my hips, never lie."

Xander bit his lip, then he shrugged. "True." JJ shot him a weird look, but said nothing. "It's really creepy. Can you see the future?"

"Do you have weird visions yo?" Max jumped in as well.

"Are you like….a wizard?" Stephen jumped in.

JJ laughed. "Uh…No?! I just get good feelings about things sometimes."

"Like The Spiel?" Aaron clarified. JJ nodded.

"Exactly! And I was thinking,"

Stephen jumped up with a wide grin, and interrupted JJ. "RALLY AT THE ALLEY!"

Everyone was silent for a moment, then Aaron jumped up as well. "That's the best thing I've ever heard!" He cheered. "Let's do it! We'll have to call the owner, but"

"Let's call him right now!" Marco pulled out his phone and dialed the number, and a woman's voice answered;

"The Spiel Bowling Alley, how may I help you?"

Marco opened his mouth, but JJ interrupted him. "Hey Miranda, can you get the boss-man for me?"

"Oh!" The voice brightened. "Hey JJ! Sure thing."

The group shot JJ a look. She shrugged. "The Alley's open 24/7. I may or may not have been offered a job after our event there, and they hired me on for the night shift. No Biggie."

Xander shook his head. "You quit the Museum?"

"Oh no!" JJ shook her head. "I work the opening shift there and swing shift at The Spiel."

"Don't you ever sleep?" Aaron asked.

JJ laughed. "Not if I can help it."

"JJ!" A man's voice came on the phone. "Dare I take a guess as to why you're calling?"

JJ smirked. She turned to Aaron, who introduced himself, and then explained, "Avenger's A. is going to be holding a fundraiser in order to help pay for championships, and we were wondering if we The Spiel would be interested in hosting."

"Well, I'm sure you know I just took over the place," the man, who'd told them to call him Jimmy, informed. "The building has just been renovated, and has an arcade, restaurant area with stage and 20 bowling lanes. Unfortunately, the place has a bit of a bad rep to overcome, so this might be just the opportunity to get some free press." The man paused for a moment, thinking.

"How about this;" Jimmy proposed, "Championships start in three weeks; the first weekend of November, right?"

"Right." Aaron agreed.

"And your last game's next Tuesday…So let's say the following Saturday night from 6pm to midnight, you host a bowling competition, have teams of six sign up; they can get sponsors to pay a certain amount for every pin they knock down, and you earn proceeds that way. The winning team gets shirts or something to wear at the game, and the sponsor money goes to you guys."

"Healthy competition and money for championships?" Marco spoke up. "I'm down."

"And during that time fifty percent of all of your profit is donated to us as well." JJ added.

Jimmy laughed. "Naturally." He agreed.

"The Beat is also interested in performing. Would that be amenable?" Rhiannon asked, and Jimmy chuckled.

"But of course! The stage is yours."

"This is brilliant." Leila added. "We can also hold raffles, and sell merch, and bowling is always fun, and there'll be food, and I'm DOWN."

"Great! JJ, we'll discuss the little details on your next shift."

"Roger that." JJ grinned. "Bye Mr. Sours."

"And Thanks!" Aaron added.

"Anytime." Jimmy added before hanging up.

"Wow." Max shrugged. "That was surprisingly easy."

"And to think," Steven teased, "None of it would've happened without JJ and her weird "Feelings."

"So," Xander smirked, "How do you FEEL about this new development? A good idea then?"

JJ stood and rolled her eyes. "That's not how it works," She argued waspishly. "I should probably get home, I feel like my Mom's been so busy writing-er, working, that I haven't seen him in days." She sent the group a wave as she shouldered her backpack, and accidentally brushed Aaron and the clipboard holding all his football plays as she passed by.

She paused in the doorway and shot Xander a wink, "But oh, if I were, you, I'd focus on my foot drills during practice the next few days…something tells me East High's offense will be bringing their trick plays."

Xander narrowed his eyes.

It wouldn't hurt…right?

* * *

"Trick Plays?! All Game?!" Aaron sputtered angrily. "East High's always been about running the ball, when did that change?"

"Who would've guessed what should've been our easiest game almost lost us the chance at championships?!" Max grinned, long blond bangs plastered to his face.

Xander squinted, as if looking for someone in the crowd, and Steven slapped his arm helpfully. "But it's fine." Steven grinned. "Because we won."

Max brightened and whooped, turning to lift the closest person: who happened to be Ben, and twirl him around. Rhiannon laughed at Ben's scared expression, and congratulated Steven, who shrugged, and, probably bragged.

Xander turned to Marco, eyes still squinted, and Marco smirked.

"Aren't you glad we finished those flyers in time; so the cheerleaders could pass them out at the gates?" Marco asked helpfully, and Xander's eyes brightened.

"Of course. The fundraiser's going to be off the hook." He gripped Marco's shoulder in thanks. "I'll be right back."

Marco watched with a grin as Xander bee lined towards the gates, stopping to speak to a certain dark-haired cheerleader.

"Yo, where'd Xander go?" Aaron walked over, and Marco laughed. "He's hopefully making a move."

Aaron grimaced. "Not on Brittany right? She's a jerk."

"No. Not on Brittany." Marco rolled his eyes.

"Oh. Good." Aaron looked for Xander for a moment before giving up and moving to speak to someone else.

Marco just stood and watched Xander try….and fail.

…Again.

* * *

"Hey!" JJ turned slightly to smirk at Xander, who appeared to her right.

"Sup, punk." JJ addressed. "Good Game."

Xander paused and flushed, but JJ was too busy handing out flyers to notice.

"Uh..so how'd you know?"

"Hmm?" JJ looked up at Xander. He shrugged.

"About working on my footwork?"

"Oh, that." JJ shrugged. "Lucky guess."

Xander narrowed his eyes, but all of a sudden his mom was smothering him in congratulations and JJ slipped away.

Really? Dumb.

* * *

 **A Plan in Motion**

"So what are we doing again?" Tony leaned down to whisper into Pepper's ear. Pepper rolled her eyes, but explained…AGAIN.

"One Sunday a month, we all go out to dinner. It's a good way to keep in touch."

"We all being," Tony pressed, half-hazardly tossing a suit jacket over one of his favorite band shirts. Pepper slipped on her shoes and shrugged.

"Everyone." Marco slid into the room on his socks. He loved hardwood. Nikki followed behind, knocking into him, also on her socks. "The Rogers, Sam Wilson and Steven, The Holmes, Thor if he's back from wherever I guess, Dr. Watson and Max, Dr. Singer and Ben, Bruce I guess, Leila and Mr. Barton I guess, us, and JJ."

"And Nana White." Pepper added. Marco and Nikki's eyes widened, and Tony's narrowed.

"Nana White?" Marco repeated. Pepper nodded, and Marco laughed.

"Who's Nana White?" Tony asked, arms crossed. Marco slapped his dad on the back.

"She's terrifying, is who she is." He laughed again, heading towards the living room. Nikki shook her red curls.

"Be afraid, dad." She grinned, before following after Marco with a whistle.

Tony looked to Pepper, who just grimaced.

* * *

Nana White really WAS terrifying.

And for a ninety six year old woman to be terrifying was saying something.

Thing was…Nana White just had that kind of look; the look that she was not a woman to be trifled with.

The entire group; all 25 of them, were seated at a circular table, and Tony was seated directly across from Nana White.

She sat, eyes narrowed at the man in front of her, and Tony was legitimately frightened that when she opened her mouth flames were going to come out.

Fortunately, there were no flames, and even more fortunately, she didn't address him. Instead, she turned to the children.

"Marco!" She rapped out. He sat up straight.

"Yes Nana?" He asked dutifully.

"I understand your music group has been performing regularly? Does that make you an income?"

Marco winced. "As a matter of fact, a slight one. But most of any profit we make is donated to charities and foundations. We perform for the love of it, not the income."

"Passion." Nana nodded. "An important thing to pursue. You plan on attending college?" She drilled.

"Yes, Nana, I've applied to several, my top school being New York School of the Arts."

Nana nodded slowly. "Good. Everyone should receive an education. But don't limit yourself to the schools within the state. Pursuing your passion sometimes means branching out beyond the comfortable." Marco nodded slowly in contemplation. Nana White and turned to Rhiannon. "Now you! How goes that science club of yours?"

* * *

And down the line it went. Throughout the dinner Nana turned her attention to each of the children at some point or another.

The Avengers were surprised to note that Nana White was well-versed in all of the teenagers lives; in their hobbies and future plans, and she seemed to genuinely care about what they're dreams were and how they were doing. Nana White advised, encouraged, and at times, gently reprimanded as was needed, and each child was deeply respectful to the elderly woman.

The interrogations ended when the food arrived, and the Avengers heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Unfortunately for them, once Nana White had officially completed her meal and her napkin tossed onto her plate with a note of finality, her eyes had raised and locked firstly onto Tony…

And that's when their interrogations began.

* * *

 **A Bad Feeling and an Attack**

"Marco, its 3:42 in the afternoon, I, for once, do NOT have cheer practice, nor do I have any other club or activity that my presence would be required at, and I'm still here."

Marco raised his hands in mock surrender.

JJ turned to him with a deep sigh. "Contrary to what it may look like, I don't like it here THAT much." She slammed her locker shut and pulled a maroon hoodie over her head that read "Avengers do it better." Marco smirked.

JJ looked down at the hoodie with a deep sigh. "I know what it says." She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

"I just realized that we've all been so busy, we haven't really had a chance to talk."

JJ sighed and started walking down the nearly deserted hallway. "You just want to know who I'm going to the Halloween dance with."

Marco grinned shamelessly and fell into step with her. "Among other things." He admitted.

"That guy Declan, from my English class? He asked me and I said no."

"Anyone else bring up the dance?" Marco prodded.

"Nope." JJ hitched her backpack up higher on her shoulder. Then she shrugged. "Actually, yes. Xander did, today."

"Xander asked you?" Marco asked surprised. He didn't think the guy would just outright ask…

"Did he ask me?" JJ repeated appalled. "Lord no. He just brought it up. Said something about who I thought he should ask."

"What'd you tell him?" Marco shook his head sadly. This sounded more like Xander…poor, in over his head Xander, who had no trouble flirting with the ladies…except for when it came to JJ…who kind of hated his guts.

"I told him he could ask any girl in the school he wanted and they'd agree to go with him." JJ snorted. "They're all crazy, but they'd say yes."

"And his response to that?" Marco had a feeling where this was going.

"He was all, "any girl, huh?" Like the punk he is, and he looked like he was going to say something else, probably brag or something, so I cut him off and told he that he should go find one."

"And then you stomped off." Marco guessed. He squinted as two teens ran past, looking spooked.

"Of course I did. He has enough people who'll listen to him brag, I shouldn't have to listen to it too."

Marco shook his head sadly. JJ paused as two more guys ran past. "What's up with them?" She asked, turning to watch them run off.

"Who knows?" Marco shrugged and the two turned to keep walking, but just then one last guy came around the corner, hitting JJ's shoulder with his own.

"Hey!" Her hand came up to rub the shoulder the kid had just rammed into. "Watch yourself!"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she rubbed her shoulder for a moment, then her eyes widened. "Oh no."

She turned down the hall the boys had just run from, and confused, Marco followed. "Where are we going?" HE asked.

"I dunno." She admitted. "I just have a bad feeling that…" She paused at the edge of the staircase, looking down in horror.

Marco followed her gaze, and gasped.

There, at the foot of the stairs, lay crumpled, pale, unconscious, Aaron Rogers.

* * *

 **AHHHH! WHAT?! HELP!**

 **Next chapter up in a mo!**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **LLAP,**

 **~CLC~**


	7. Revenge of the Fallen

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

Steve and Nicole were otherwise occupied when they heard the car honks from outside. The honks came quick in succession, with an urgency that Steve didn't quite understand…at least not until he opened his front door and saw Marco pulling open the backseat of his car, and a rumpled JJ crawling out…the unconscious body of Steve's only child in her arms.

Steve didn't remember moving, but he must've, because all of a sudden there were strong arms pushing him back, forcing him into his house, and his wife's panicked questions thundered in his ears. Marco stood to the side, face ashen, and that was when Steve came back to himself enough to question who was holding him back from reaching his son.

Blue eyes met blue eyes, and Bucky smiled, though it was strained and worried. "You can't touch him yet. JJ will take care of him."

"But what HAPPENED?" Nicole stressed, looking to Marco for answers. Marco's voice was shaky, but certain.

"JJ had a bad feeling, we were at the school, she started running, and I followed her, and we found Aaron, at the bottom of the stairs."

Nicole's hand went to her mouth and she looked to Steve tearfully.

If Aaron had fallen down the stairs…with all his health issues, anything could've happened.

"He needs a hospital," Nicole stressed.

"He needs JJ, and you need to keep your distance for now." Bucky spoke firmly. "Marco, you need to go home."

"But," Marco tried to argue, but JJ's voice broke through as she cleared the doorway, Aaron still unconscious in her arms.

"Marco, go home." JJ ordered, and after a moment, Marco nodded and left. Steve tried to move once more to take his son…

* * *

Aaron might've been small for his age, but he was still bigger than JJ and to see her carrying him bridal style just seemed….wrong. She must've been struggling, but Bucky stopped him once more.

"JJ has him." Bucky promised.

JJ grimaced. "I got him, Mrs. Rogers." She promised Nicole. She made her way up the stairs to Aaron's room, and Nicole wrapped her arms around Steve, the two watching JJ and their son clear the stairs.

* * *

This…didn't seem real.

One second Steve and Nicole were necking on the couch and the next their son's best friend was carrying his unconscious body up the stairs to his room while Steve's best friend from 100 years ago kept them from following.

"JJ?" Steve blurt out.

JJ poked her head out Aaron's room.

"Please." Steve's voice broke. "I just got him back. I can't….I can't lose him."

JJ's face softened. "I promise, Captain." She spoke sincerely. "I'll do everything in my power to keep him safe." She closed the door behind her, Bucky gently urged the Rogers to take a seat, and then Bucky sighed.

"First of all," He turned to Nicole. "I should tell YOU that my real name is James Buchanan Barnes. AKA,"

"Bucky?" Nicole's eyes widened, then darted towards her husband. Steve shrugged.

"Ran into him the other week." Steve admitted. "He's a reporter at The Arrow."

Nicole nodded slowly.

Bucky turned to Steve. "And I should tell YOU, that JJ is my daughter."

It was Steve's turn to widen his eyes in shock. His gaze turned from his sons bedroom door to look at Bucky in shock.

"You have a kid?!" Steve croaked. Bucky shrugged.

"I was pretty shocked when I found out too." He grinned. "Which was about five years ago."

Steve turned to Nicole, who raised a hand. "I knew he was JJ's dad." She admitted. "Not that he was the legendary Bucky."

"Not legendary." Bucky argued. He moved to sit in the large armchair across from the couch. "Awesome, yes. Legendary? That's more the guy you married."

"So JJ's your kid?" Steve nodded. "Okay, fine. But she's still just a kid. How is she going to fix Aaron?"

"Aaron's shown no signs of having retained any piece of the serum, correct?" Bucky began.

Nicole and Steve nodded. "He's got my eyes and all of Steve's health problems pre-serum." She explained.

"That was JJ." Bucky admitted. "Now, Granted, the experiments Hydra did on me didn't exactly replicate the Erskine's serum, but it was pretty darn close."

"So it must have transferred through DNA relatively similar." Nicole nodded. "Aaron falls and hurts himself all the time; he has bullies."

Steve shot a look to Nicole, and she shrugged. "They mostly left him alone, JJ made sure of that, but sometimes they caught him off guard." She grimaced. "It's fine." She turned back to Bucky. "Aaron fell down the stairs….he's unconscious, he needs a hospital."

"He also has a fever." Bucky added with a frown. "Which means the help he needs is beyond the hospital."

"How?" Steve narrowed his eyes. "Have you seen something like this before?"

Bucky smiled wryly. "During the summer JJ had a bit of a…mishap. She's fearless and curious, which means she gets into scrapes of her own. Suffice to say she fell, landed rather hard, and went unconscious. She was being treated normally, until she caught a fever."

"And then?" Nicole wrung her hands together. They hadn't been informed JJ had been hurt seriously enough to need a doctor. Of course, they'd been busy with….other plans, but still…Nicole would've liked to have been informed.

"The serum directly affected our DNA, Steve," Bucky watched Steve closely. "Stands to reason that whatever DNA we share with our children will have some sort of trace of the serum."

"So our kids have the serum in their blood?" Steve ran a hand through his hair. "Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm saying exactly that." Bucky leaned forward. "The serum just remained inactive until something triggered its release."

"Like?" Nicole asked.

"Like teenage hormones and a head injury." Bucky spoke plainly. "It starts with a fever, and then the body modifications start. My serum did little in the way of that, so JJ didn't change much physically either."

"But she could carry Aaron with ease, and up the stairs." Nicole pointed out.

"Her strength is unparalleled." Bucky admitted. "An effect of the serum."

"My serum had a drastic physical change." Steve stood and began to pace."

"So I would assume Aaron will be taller when he comes to in three days." Bucky stood as well. "I'll be honest, JJ was with her dad when she fell."

Steve narrowed his eyes. "Her adopted dad." Nicole spoke up. "The guy, whom I've never met, I might add," She rolled her eyes. "took JJ in when she was seven."

"He found me later, and when he realized I didn't even know she existed, we decided to co-parent." Bucky grinned. "But he was already dad, so I became…."

"Mom." Steve chuckled. "I've heard her talk about you, I just assumed it was-"

"A woman?" Bucky finished dryly. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

There was silence for a moment. "JJ know's what she's doing." Bucky finally spoke. "She's been through this before. I highly suggest you leave her to work." Bucky grimaced. "The process isn't a pretty sight, and for JJ, it took nearly a week. Hopefully with Aaron, you'll see him up and about in a few days."

"So…" Nicole wrapped her arms around herself. "We wait?"

Steve sighed. "That's what it sounds like."

Bucky shrugged. "This is the hard part." He admitted. "But I can promise you; he'll be fine."

Steve and Nicole shared a look, and nodded.

"Of course he will be." Nicole agreed bravely. "He's got JJ."

"And if the kid's anything like her mom," Steve smirked. "Aaron will be just fine."

Bucky just rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Steve."

Steve grinned.

And the three parents settled into the living room for a long wait.

* * *

"So…they're gonna be here right?" Xander adjusted his costume with a grimace.

"Yes, Xan, chill." Marco rolled his eyes and fiddled with his bow. "JJ and Aaron will not only meet us here, but they'll also be in costume and ready to dance. JJ even said she has a surprise for us."

"They're not going to be horribly late though, are they?" Rhi fixed her wig.

"If it were just JJ, I would say no." Ben smirked, standing tall and proud.

"But it's Aaron too." Leila leaned against Ben with a smile. "So they might be."

"I think we should go in, though." Steven squinted his only visible eye. "Forget making a cool impression, I'm starving."

"You're not the director of us." Max argued. "Let's just wait one minute more."

"Waiting for me?" JJ jumped down from a nearby tree, and the group whirled around.

"Jay, your costume is the bomb!" Leila shrieked.

"You look awesome." Xander spoke up, impressed.

JJ posed, flexing one arm. "I Know." She hopped up and down. "So are you guys ready to see your surprise?"

The group nodded.

"Duh!" Max rubbed his fake facial hair. "Let's see it."

"Do you guys think this suit is a little tight?" The voice was deep, and unfamiliar, as was the figure striding forward, but the face, once it came out of the shadows? That was all too familiar.

* * *

The doors to the cafeteria, where the dance was being held, burst open, and The Supers made their grand entrance.

They'd made the unanimous decision that no one that Halloween was allowed to dress as their dads, so the Supers dressed as follows;

Marco, with his bow and arrow and brown hair dyed blonde, was Hawkeye.

Leila, with her winged helmet, and prop hammer and long blonde hair flowing around her shoulders was Thor.

Ben, dressed in Black and green, with a horned helmet and golden staff, was Loki.

Xander dressed in red white and blue, was Cap, and Rhi wore a red wig and a suit that made her Black Widow, Steven's eye patch made him Fury and Max, with his hair dyed black and a drawn on mustache, was Tony Stark.

And right smack dab in the middle stood JJ, dressed in all black, dark brown hair braided and thrown over one shoulder, her left arm incased in metal, from shoulder to fingertip. She was Bucky Barnes, and Aaron;

Aaron towered over JJ, six inches taller, with broader shoulders and well-defined muscles that he hadn't had before.

Had he not been wearing a skintight red and blue suit, had his hair been shorter and his eyes been blue instead of green…

He would've looked exactly like his father.

JJ noticed the group of guys that had run from the staircase, all their faces filled with fear at the sight of the new Aaron, and JJ smirked as she took in the looks of appreciation everyone held for Aaron's new physique.

For Aaron…tonight was the revenge of the fallen.

* * *

"Wow Aaron," Rhiannon circled the now taller than her teen with a grin. "What happened?"

"And can I get some?" Max jumped up. "I am now the shortest guy in the group; I object!"

Aaron laughed and patted Max on the back, and Max flung forward from the force of it.

"Sorry." Aaron winced. "I'm still getting used to the changes."

"Changes you got how?" Leila asked, a hand on one hip. "You haven't mentioned yet."

"Well, y'all know I fell down the stairs," Aaron began,

"Uh, you mean was PUSHED?" Steven crossed his arms. We all know."

"Hey." Ben joined their group. "Is it bad that I really want to go tell someone to kneel right now?"

"Ben." JJ put a hand on Ben's shoulder.

"Loki." He corrected with a smile.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Loki. Your majesty." She bowed mockingly. "You're freaking me out. But go try it, and see what happens." Ben saluted then ran off.

"Aaron?" JJ smiled warmly. "Tell us what went down."

Aaron tossed his hair out of his face and smiled back. "When I fell down the stairs, I hit my head. The theory is that my brain injury activated the dormant serum that ran through my blood, and when I came to, I looked like this."

"Wow. Did your dad totally freak out?" Xander asked impressed.

"Nah, he handled it pretty well. Helped me through the entire thing." Aaron grinned.

Marco frowned and turned slightly to JJ, who shrugged but stayed silent. Marco nodded once, and did the same.

"Is that little Aaron Rogers?" A tall pale teen with pitch black hair walked past, eyeing Aaron appreciatively.

"Brittany." Aaron smiled tightly.

"Looking good." She looked him over with a leer before winking and striding away. The group shuddered collectively, but Aaron narrowed his eyes and watched her walk past.

"Looks like Brittany has a new victim in her sight." Rhiannon grinned, patting her twin on the back.

"Well…" Xander shuddered again. "Good riddance. Sorry for your loss, Aaron."

Aaron shrugged. "I think I can handle it."

"Come on, Spidey." Rhiannon grabbed his arm. "Us Spiders should stick together. Come dance with me." Rhiannon led Aaron away, and the others dispersed, some moving to a table, others to the dance floor, and still others to where the food was.

* * *

JJ found herself seated at a nearby table, watching Aaron enjoy himself…pensieve.

Marco sat at the table behind JJ, watching with a smirk as Xander slowly moved towards JJ, eventually taking the seat next to her.

This should be good.

"Aaron, new and improved, am I right?" Xander asked slowly, hopefully.

Since the start of senior year, Xander and JJ had been unable to hold a civil conversation for longer than two seconds…for reasons mostly unknown. Their relationship had always been volatile, but senior year had brought the simmering to a boil, and it was still up in the air whether the two would either erupt….or create fireworks.

Xander had high hopes for the latter, thus his continued attempts to hold at least one civil conversation with JJ.

JJ eyes didn't move from Aaron's profile, but her head tilted slightly in Xander's direction.

"New? Definitely." She agreed. "Different? Certainly. Weird?" She finally ripped her eyes from Aaron to look up at Xander wryly, "While I may have seen weirder, this is pretty up there. But improved?" JJ shook her head. "We'll see, won't we?"

"You sound worried." Xander narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

JJ leaned back. "Aaron has always physically been the weakest of the group." She began. "His health issues made him fragile and his small stature made him look it. Because of that, he's been spoiled, coddled. Everything he's ever needed or wanted is handed to him before he can even think to ask for it."

"Like an inhaler he doesn't bother remembering to carry around because he knows SOMEONE always has a spare?" Xander teased lightly. "Apparently along with a clean pair of pants?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "I admit, I'm the worst of us all." She shrugged. "I just never wanted him to feel inferior."

"None of us did." Xander agreed. "We're all guilty."

"But his physically weaker body; the reason he was so spoiled, was also the only thing keeping him humble. He knew he was important, and valued, and he wanted for nothing, but he understood everyone had a weakness. His was his build."

"And now the only thing keeping him humble is gone. And you're worried he'll become too full of himself. Is this what I'm hearing?"

JJ shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Well." Xander leaned forward. "He's got good people on his side, who'll keep that from happening. He may look physically different, but he's still Aaron. He's still your best friend."

JJ, eyes bright, smirked slightly. "Promise?"

Xander turned his body so the fullness of his gaze was right on JJ's face, and without conscious thought, his hands stretched forward to clasp hers.

"I promise," He spoke solemnly, "that as long as I'm around, you will have you best friend."

JJ smiled. Then she chuckled. "You realize," She raised a brow, "that this is the longest civil conversation we've held in…ever?"

"I'm well aware." Xander grinned. "Do you think it'll last?"

"I dunno." JJ tilted her head with a small smile.

"I hope it does." Xander admitted.

JJ's eyes squinted in thought, and she opened her mouth to speak, but then someone called her name, and with an eye roll and a shrug, JJ was pulled away.

Xander tilted his head and watched her go.

* * *

Marco closed the camera on his phone and slid the device back into his pocket, stepping forward just in time to hear Xander say,

"I'm going to marry her."

It was said darkly…ominously.

"Is that a threat?" Marco asked jokingly, and Xander jerked.

"How long have you been there?" He asked, eyes wide.

Marco shrugged and smirked, and Xander groaned.

"Calm down big guy." Marco patted him. "I'm on your side." Xander raised a brow. "I think you guys would be good together." Marco added, and Xander smiled.

"You think so?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure." Marco nodded. "Once you stop accidently insulting her all the time."

Xander grimaced. "I don't mean to do it," he explained, "It just comes out, and once I start, I can't seem to stop."

"Well…" Marco shrugged. "I think you've just made progress."

Xander grinned. "I would have to agree."

Marco smiled at the hope lighting up Xander's eyes, and he squinted.

"Hey. You never did answer me."

Xander raised an eyebrow.

"Was that a threat?" Marco asked again.

Xander laughed. "No…no." His eyes sought out and nearly immediately found JJ, talking and laughing with the majority of the chess club.

"It's a promise."

* * *

 **Dinner Y'all**

"So Aaron's doing well?" Bucky leaned against the brick wall of Baxter's Diner.

Steve nodded. "He's full of energy. Dr. Watson looked him over, and he's physically at peak."

"No more health issues?" Bucky grinned.

"None." Steve agreed. "It's wonderful. He's overjoyed, and milking it…still." Steve rolled his eyes.

"It's only been three days." Bucky argued. "Let him be a ham."

"And if it persists?" Steve asked.

Bucky shrugged. "Oh, I don't know…eat him?"

Steve barked out a laugh.

"Or better yet, beat him." Bucky advised. "You're the parent, you have that right."

"Not really." JJ joined her mom and his best friend outside. "There IS such a thing as child abuse now." She grinned.

"Psh!" Bucky scoffed. "There wasn't any of that nonsense back when I was a kid."

"Yeah, back then it was called discipline." Steve nodded. "And back then kids weren't punks."

"Well," JJ shrugged. "You might have something there." She turned to her Mom. "Are you joining us?"

"Nah." Bucky grimaced. "As much as I enjoy Baxter's, I think I'll pass." He pointed a finger at JJ. "Get a ride home, then, ok?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "I'm positive SOMEONE will be able to take me home."

"Hey Captain. Mr. B." Xander showed up, eyes bright. He nodded at the two adults, then turned to JJ. "I didn't know your Mom and Steve were friends."

JJ snickered. "Oh yeah. They go way back."

"Before the Final Battle?" Xander guessed. Bucky and Steve shared a grin.

"Something like that." Bucky clapped a hand on Xander's shoulder. "Hey. You drive. Mind bringing JJ home after this shindig?"

"Sure." Xander agreed immediately. "I can do that." Bucky winked at Xander when JJ wasn't looking, then bid Steve farewell.

Steve shook his head, not exactly sure what he'd just witnessed.

"Alright, Xander's the last to arrive, which means we can eat." Steve pronounced. "Let's go inside."

And as he corralled the two teens inside, and saw how Xander blushed every time JJ so much as looked at him, the scene outside started to make a little more sense….

* * *

"So…this is alright…right?" Xander asked, hands gripping the wheel more tightly then necessary.

JJ furrowed her brows. "What? You driving me home? Sure."

"I mean, I know your mom kinda forced me on you, and he didn't really ask you, and I don't know how you feel about me and you, and,"

"Xan." JJ interrupted with a smirk. "It's fine."

"It's fine?" He clarified. JJ nodded, and Xander relaxed. "Ok. It's fine."

The drive was silent for a few minutes, then JJ sighed. "You know what? All of a sudden…I'm really craving some pie."

"Pie?" Xander asked confused.

"Yeah, Pie." JJ shot him a look. "You wanna stop by O'Neil's and get some pie with me before you drop me off at home?"

"Yes." Xander blurted out. He took a deep breath, and held it for a few moments. Then he let it go…and nodded slowly.

"Yeah." He said nonchalantly. "that sounds cool."

"Cool." JJ agreed. "Then maybe you'll tell me what's freaking you out right now."

Xander's eyes widened, and he nodded.

"Yeah, maybe." He agreed, voice a little tight.

JJ smirked. "But pie first."

Xander relaxed. "Right. Pie first."

* * *

O'Neil's was the only place to get pie.

Well, it wasn't the ONLY place to get pie….but it was the BEST place to get pie.

Both JJ and Xander felt more than comfortable in the diner.

But just the two of them? Seated across from each other?

That was weird.

JJ dug quickly into her slice of pie, and Xander tried to decide how he was going to say what he wanted to say.

He couldn't just blurt it out, right? It had to be clear, but not blunt, said calmly, logically. No need to freak her out from the get go…

"I like you." It came out rushed, hurried, and Xander felt like an idiot.

JJ's fork paused halfway to her mouth, and her eyes widened. She blinked for a moment, and set her fork down.

The silence got to Xander, and he began to babble in an effort to fill it.

"I know we've known each other for a really long time, and it wasn't until recently," (lie, but #TRY NOT TO FREAK HER OUT was in play, so,) "that I realized how awesome you are and I really have wanted to ask you out all year, but I keep messing up and insulting you and I don't WANT to insult you, and it just comes out of my mouth before I can stop it because I'm nervous, and I know you said I could have any girl I wanted but any girl isn't you, and I just want you, and I know this is totally out of left field and I'm an idiot but I've been wanting to say something for a while now but we've never been alone and," JJ held up a finger, effectively stopping Xander mid-word, for which he was quite grateful. Still blinking furiously, JJ called over the waitress.

When the woman came over, JJ simply informed her. "We're going to need more pie."

Something in JJ's words must have spoken to the waitress, for it wasn't even a minute later that an entire pie was seated between Xander and JJ.

JJ picked up Xanders fork and pressed it into his palm.

"Eat." She advised. "Let me think."

Xander nodded slowly…and did exactly what JJ said.

She did the same, taking bite after bite of pie, brows furrowed.

Finally, she set down her fork, wiped her face daintily with a napkin, and sighed.

"Alright." She began. "I won't say I'm not surprised, because, I am, in fact, shocked. We've been more enemies than friends for…as long as I can remember." Xander smiled a little. "I do suppose that thin line between love and hate wouldn't be entirely inaccurate in this position though." JJ squinted. "You and I have always had a volatile relationship. Can I see us being friends?" She tilted her head.

"More easily than I thought I'd be able to," she answered frankly. "Can I see us being more than friends?" She thought for a moment, then a slightly stunned look came over his face. "Perhaps." She finally said. Xander straightened, but JJ held up a hand.

"I'll give this, us" she clarified, "a chance. But I'd like to go slow. Friends first…more later. Is that okay?" She asked a little nervously.

Xander nodded slowly. "I've thought this through. I've taken the time to consider this change," He admitted. "You haven't. The very least I can do is grant you that same amount of time. I want you to be comfortable, every step of the way, so we'll go as slow as necessary." He nodded. "And I'd like very much to be your friend."

JJ grinned, and held out her hand. Xander eyed it for a moment, before reaching out to shake it.

"I'm Xander Odinson." Xander smiled. "I'm 18 on February 9th, I'm kind of a jock, and my secret vice is musicals."

"Justice Jay." JJ smiled back. "I'm 18 on April 1st, I've only recently begun participating in sports though I've always been a fan, and my secret vice is running." The two grinned over their clasped hands, then let go after a moment to return to their pies.

"So…" JJ smirked. "What's your favorite color?"

Xander smiled. "Brown. Yours?"

JJ pursed her lips. "The blood of angry men."

Xander burst out laughing. "Red?" He clarified.

JJ looked impressed. "Got it in one." She pointed her fork at him. "There's hope for you yet."

Xander smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

* * *

Bucky wasn't surprised when JJ got home 2 minutes before her 2am curfew, but he was surprised at the bright flush to her cheeks.

"Have a good time?" He asked, flicking through The Arrow's latest edition.

"The end times are near, the world has flipped upside down, and Elvis is rolling in his grave." She answered cryptically, handing him a take-out box and kissing him on the cheek.

"Is that a yes?" Bucky asked dryly.

JJ grinned. "My best friend is nearly unrecognizable, My enemy became a friend over pie, and he very well might become more before the year is out, and the Avengers are alive." She shrugged. "The changes are coming too quickly to acclimate, but I have high hopes…" She laughed. "So yes, I had a good time."

She ran up the stairs. Bucky chuckled. Something was in the air, alright.

She poked her head around the corner. "Don't tell Dad!" She warned. Bucky outright laughed.

"I'm telling him nothing." Bucky promised. "You know how much of a drama king that guy is."

JJ smirked. "Exactly." She blew her mom/dad a kiss, then hit the stairs once more.

Bucky stood and made his way to his own room.

Yeah, "Dad" wasn't going to be happy about this newest development…

He could find out later…MUCH later.

* * *

 **So we've met MOM...Xander made his move and progress has been made...but what about DAD? Welp...stay tuned!**

 **Aaron is a babe now! YAY...or not? And what's with that Brittany chick? Creepy.**

 **Next chapter up Friday! Woot Woot!**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **LLAP,**

 **~CLC~**


	8. Games

**I AM FILLED WITH SHAME.**

 **Here are FIVE chapters in apology while I wallow in my shame.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **ONE**

"While meeting with a group this size is quite unorthodox," The pale, black-haired therapist, with her dark brown eyes pushed her wire-frame glasses further up her nose, "I understand the situation is unorthodox." She smiled tightly.

"We appreciate this." Steve smiled back.

"Although some of us, would rather not be here." Tony muttered, arms crossed.

"And still others don't yet understand why their presence here is required." Sherlock muttered as well.

Thor rolled his eyes. "You're the man on the inside." He explained. "Your presence is very much required."

"And you're here for obvious reasons, so stop whining." Clint chastised Tony. "This is supposed to help."

"Says Nana White." Tony argued.

"If I recall, JJ also suggested this." Bruce spoke up.

"Speaking of JJ," The therapist, who'd told them to call her Anna, announced, and her door opened, JJ, wearing dark jeans and a white button-up, staring wide-eyed at the group before her. "She's my scribe; she annotates while we talk. That's okay? She's sworn to secrecy and won't speak unless necessary."

Steve looked to the rest of the group, who all looked uneasy, but Sherlock huffed and gestured to her. "Well, come in then." JJ rolled her eyes, shut the door behind her, and took a seat in the corner of the room, a notepad resting on her legs and a pen in hand.

"So I understand you all were encouraged to see a therapist." Anna began. "But you were not forced."

"Have you met Nana White?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "We really DIDN'T have a choice."

JJ smirked, but said nothing.

Bruce rolled his eyes. "No, you're right." He agreed with Anna. "We had a choice. We chose to come."  
"So…" Anna spoke slowly. "Why are you here?"

The Avengers shared a look.

"We're here because…." Steve sighed. "We somehow survived what we thought was a death sentence. Being here, with our families, alive…it's a miracle."

"But not only do we not know how to really BE with our families," Bruce continued,

"Especially as they've moved on while all we could do was hold onto memories of the past," Thor added,

"But we have nightmares." Clint spoke bluntly. "Of where we were…of what happened. Things we can't talk about…"

"Or won't." Tony added. "Because we don't know how."

"Because it's all too unreal." Steve agreed.

"We need help." Clint finished.

The therapist nodded, and opened her mouth…and her phone rang. With an apologetic look, she stood and left the room to take the phone call.

"Well." Clint blinked. "Good Talk."

JJ fidgeted.

"She just…left the room." Steve shook his head in disbelief.

JJ hit her notepad lightly.

"That's quite unprofessional." Bruce narrowed his eyes.

JJ rubbed her nose and shook her head.

"Well, this was fun, can we leave?" Tony asked.

Sherlock huffed. "Well? Speak?" The Avengers shot a surprised look towards Sherlock, who eyed JJ wryly.

She shook her head.

"You obviously have something to say." Sherlock drawled. "You may as well say it."

JJ winced and shook her head again.

"You can't make anything worse." Clint spoke up with a shrug. "It's fine. Speak future-therapist," He teased, and JJ sighed.

"You're rushing things." JJ spoke plainly.

"It's been five months." Tony corrected.

"And meaningful relationships take work."

"Sure, we get that." Clint shrugged. "But…it's been five months."

"And my mom…my biological father," JJ rephrased, "and I, have known about each other for five YEARS, and we're still making progress." She spoke frankly. "Sharing blood does not mean you'll bond automatically. And there are five of you….and all of you are right smack dab in the middle of very different situations that will progress differently from each other. Captain, you're kid just leveled up," JJ began, "Clint, you have a girl, Bruce, your son's actually pretty chill, so there's that, Tony," JJ shrugged. "Marco isn't going to follow in your footsteps no matter how hard you try, and Thor," JJ smirked. "You have that." She pointed to Sherlock.

Sherlock shrugged. "Both a blessing and a curse." He waved off.

Thor crossed his arms. "Curse, I get." He rolled his eyes. "But blessing? Explain that one."

"Sherlock has a literal roadmap into how your kids think, and act." JJ shrugged. "Rhi and Xan are a bit unsure of the current hierarchy, because they've had Sherlock for so long, but if he's on your side, and you two work together, the transition will be easier for everyone."

JJ pointed sternly at Sherlock. "You need to realize you were never a replacement for THAT," JJ gestured to Thor, "and YOU, need to realize that Sherlock is a huge part of your kids' lives, and you both need to work out that regardless of our age; we kids do have room in our hearts to love everyone." Thor and Sherlock shared a look.

"You raised my children." Thor spoke slowly. "You were there for them when I wasn't. They'll always look to you for certain things in their lives. I don't want to push you aside," he admitted, "I just want to be a part of their lives now that I can be."

Sherlock huffed. "I will not hog your children." He agreed. "That's quite ridiculous, seeing as I have two of my own. Xander and Rhiannon no longer need major guidance, they're nearly adults themselves, but Luka,"

"You literally delivered him." Thor deadpanned. "I reckon he'll just have two dads."

Sherlock's expression didn't change, but his shoulders relaxed. "I suppose that's acceptable."

"Step 1-A," JJ smiled. "Allies. Get your wives, your wives' new husband," JJ winked, "Nana White," Clint grimaced, "all of the people who've raised your children in your absence. Make sure they comprehend where you're coming from and what you want. They'll be detrimental to your success."

"Step 1-B?" Tony asked.

JJ snickered. "Introduce yourselves." She said simply.

"Uh…what?" Bruce asked dumbly.

"You are all strangers; while your kids have heard stories and know your names, stories aren't always filled with facts and names don't give you much to go on. Start from scratch; maybe not with a literal handshake, but let them get to know you. Don't force yourself on them, or offer to spend time with them, they're not ready for that yet, because they don't KNOW you. Let them know what you like, what you're good at, what you're not so good at. Humanize yourselves in front of them, show them you're not just legends, but you're also people." JJ smiled. "Take it slow."

Her phone beeped and she looked down at it with a grimace. "One of Anna's other patients went sucidial, she had to leave."

Steve's eyes widened. "Oh, wow."

"Part of the job." JJ shrugged. "She understands how unprofessional her leaving was; she can refund your money and refer you to a few other therapists, or you can schedule another appointment, it's up to you."

The Avengers shrugged and shared a look, but it was Clint that spoke.

"This time next week?" He asked, and with a nod, JJ wrote something down.

"Tuesday at 4:30, got it."

"You'll be here, right?" Sherlock asked with a smirk.

"Of course!" JJ grinned. "Now about your refund…."

Tony shook his head. "Don't even worry about it."

"You sure?" JJ asked once more.

"Positive." Bruce stood.

Thor grinned as the adults filed out of the room. "I think we heard what we needed to."

* * *

"Are you so pumped for this game or what?" JJ plopped into the seat in front of Xan and Max, grinning back at the both of them.

"SO pumped." Max rolled his eyes. "Even though we're obviously going to win."

"So sure of yourself, are you?" Leila, in the seat across from them, grinned.

"Duh." Steven patted Leila on the arm. "Does the other team have a group of superheroes cheering them on?"

"Wow, Steven," JJ smirked. "I never knew you felt that way."

Steven looked confused.

"But really, Cheerleaders are humans too." JJ smirked.

Max snickered. "Yeah, we get that." The bus hit a red light, and he moved up a few seats to sit next to another cheerleader, and Ben, the school mascot, took the opportunity to take his place. Steven moved as well, and JJ moved next to Leila with a wink.

"So my dad was telling me about this one time that; and this was before Loki was a good guy," Ben began, "Loki turned this entire street into ice cream, right?"

"Isn't your dad lactose intolerant?" Xander asked, and Ben snorted.

"Exactly! So Dad gets all hivey and stuff, and your dad" Ben pointed to Xander, "shows up and gets all yelly at Loki, and then Loki's all, "Wait?! To beat the beast all I had to do was give him a little bit of MILK?!" And Stark is all "Yeah, and now he's dying," And Loki gets all butt hurt and then makes my dad throw up."

"You're telling me Loki almost kills your dad and then ends up saving him?" JJ asked wryly.

Ben nodded. "Yup."

Xander chuckled. "That's kind of hilarious."

"You would think our dads would've got the point by then that maybe Loki wasn't ALL bad," Leila added.

"Right?!" Ben grinned. "But my Dad's been telling me random stories like that all week."

"You too?" Xander narrowed his eyes. "So has mine. He even came over for dinner…" Xander shuddered, "Which was so weird."

"Yeah, I think they're trying to get to know us or something." Leila grinned. "My Dad's been doing the same."

"It's weird." Xander grimaced.

"But cool." Ben argued.

"Cool how?" Xander scrunched his nose.

"Its our dads." Leila shrugged. "And they're actually talking to us."

"They're real people now, instead of just legends." Ben added.

Xander thought about it. "I guess you're right. He agreed.

Ben smirked. "I'm always right."

The bus stopped at another red light, and both Ben and Leila moved seats. In a sudden burst of inspiration, JJ moved to sit next to Xander.

He looked down at her, surprised.

"Is this okay?" She smiled. Xander nodded quickly.

"Oh good." JJ settled herself in more comfortably. "I didn't know if you'd be sick of me or not."

"We've only been friends for about a week." Xander rolled his eyes. "How could I get tired of you?"

JJ shrugged. "Well, you've driven me to school every day this week." She shrugged. "Seeing as I live forty minutes out of district, it's quite the drive."

Xander shrugged, smiling. "Eh, it's not that long with good company."

"Really?" JJ smirked. "I wouldn't know."

Xander made a shocked face, and a hand raised to cover his heart. "Ouch!" He complained, "that was extremely hurtful."

JJ laughed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." She apologized, nudging his shoulder. She turned to him. "But I know what might make you feel better." She grinned.

"Yes?" Xander asked, interested.

JJ leaned forward. "I finally watched that musical you wanted me to."

Xander brightened. "Really?" He leaned forward as well. "What did you think?"

And as the football star and cheerleader began to talk shop, the rest of the bus seemed to fade away.

An hour later and their conversation was finally winding down, and JJ smiled. "Wow." She looked out the window.

"What?" Xander asked.

"The ride really ISN'T that long with good company."

Xander smiled, and seeing the opportunity, took it.

"Really?" He teased.

"I wouldn't know."

* * *

 **TWO**

"So…That part worked." Sherlock admitted nearly immediately once entering the therapists' office. "I've seen a marked improvement, not only in how Xander and Rhiannon interact with the two of us, but between the others as well."

Anna raised a brow, looking even more shocked when JJ leaned forward and spoke.

"Is that the general consensus then?" She asked the group.

"Yes." Tony agreed. "I started dropping random facts about myself and Nikki at least, took the bait. Started asking questions, and Marco at least, doesn't stare at me suspiciously all the time.

"Leila and I have started talking about her mom." Clint spoke up. The room went silent. Clint shrugged. "I haven't talked about… Tasha, in over ten years."

"She was your wife." JJ nodded slowly. "You held the most claim to her, and when all you had left of her was memories, you hoarded them."

"But Leila….she should know about her mom." Clint nodded. "So I've been…sharing. I know that wasn't exactly the assignment," he trailed off, but JJ shrugged.

"By painting the picture of who your wife was, Leila is also getting glimpse of you through the brushstrokes." JJ said simply.

"Poetic." Bruce grinned. "Ben and I are good. I took Dean out for drinks after the game last friday, and,"

"aired all the dirty laundry?" JJ guessed wryly. Bruce grinned.

"Well…yeah. I didn't realize he felt so threatened by me. We talked everything through, and since then,"

"Less tense?" Thor phrased, and Bruce sighed.

"Exactly." He agreed.

Thor nodded. "Jane has been extremely helpful through all of this," He admitted.

"Too helpful." Sherlock shook his head. "Her attempts at throwing Thor and I together are obvious and…"

"Awkward." Thor added. "We finally sat her down together, and the three of us spoke."

"About?" JJ asked. The therapist leaned back in her chair, bemused.

"I told her I didn't blame her for moving on, and Sherlock that I didn't begrudge him raising my children." Thor answered simply. "Someone had to do it."

"Jane apologized for everything, and I agreed to try harder." Sherlock added.

"Hence Tuesday nights eating with the Holmes?" JJ grinned at Thor. "I overheard Jane talking about that one."

"Hence weekly meals with my former family." Thor rolled his eyes.

JJ raised a brow, but didn't remark on the "former," remark. "Describe your first meal in one word."

"Strained," Sherlock spoke immediately, Thor waiting a few moments before answering with "Awkward."

JJ grinned. "Understandable." She wrote something down. "Don't force the conversation, and don't ignore each other. In fact," JJ squinted, "Start an amiable conversation between the two of you; be natural about it, and give everyone proof that you're ok with each other."

She wrote something else down. "You don't have to be best friends….but show you can be cordial. That should help with the awkward strain." She smiled.

"Steve?" How goes you?"

Steve smiled hesitantly. "Is it horrible if I say my kid's a punk?"

JJ snorted. She opened her mouth, then shook it. "And why do you say that?" She asked lightly.

"I get it, he's big and strong, whatever, but it's all he talks about, and" Steve shrugged, "I honestly think it's gone to his head. Nicole agrees but she doesn't seem like she plans on saying anything to Aaron, and while I AM his father, I just don't feel like I have the authority to do so."

"No offense, Steve, but your kid IS a punk." Clint shook his head. "Leila talks about him like he's this fragile butterfly, but even she's getting irritated with his holier than thou act."

"But how do I say something?" Steve asked, not denying his punk child.

"You don't." Tony shrugged. "It's too late for him. You'll have to try again."

"Or not." JJ interceded, shooting Tony a look. She sighed. "Steve, even if you were to say something at this point, you haven't been around long enough to establish yourself as an authority figure that your son will listen to. Which leads us all to step two."

"Step one was introduce." Bruce nodded. "So step two is…"

"Interact." JJ nodded. "You've now hopefully begun creating a foundation in their lives that you are a person too, and I suggest you continue to do so. But you may now also begin interacting with each other."

She shrugged. "Again, as I advised last time, take it slow, but if they mention needing to go somewhere or wanting to do something, offer to do it with them."

"And if they say thanks but no thanks?" Clint asked.

"You shrug and let it happen. Don't push, and the next time you ask, or the time after that, they might be more comfortable in responding differently." JJ wrote a couple more things on her notepad, then she grinned.

"As always,"

"Yeah, yeah, take it slow." Tony rolled his eyes. He stood, surprised that their hour-long session had come and gone faster than he'd expected. "See you at the next football game?" He asked with a grin.

JJ chuckled. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

And as the Avengers were ushered out of the room, JJ smiled sheepishly at her boss, and Anna just shook her head in amusement.

* * *

Thor leaned over to Sherlock, who despite himself, had somehow become a friend.

Okay, the guy was weird…and too smart for his own good, and sometimes Thor would get into this furious rage that he skinny dark-haired "brain" had stolen his family from him, but most of the time, he and Sherlock were…cool.

"Is it just me, or is Xander putting just a little bit more effort into this game than he usually does?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes. The blond buffoon next to him who sometimes irritated the heck out of Sherlock at the most random of times, was his polar opposite, how had his clever Jane fallen for the jock? Then Thor would flex his muscles and smile, and Sherlock would concede. How could you NOT fall for that?

"It's the state championships," Sherlock drawled, "I would be surprised if he weren't trying harder than he usually does." Then Sherlock caught sight of his adopted son, and he furrowed his brow. "But you're right. He's unusually devoted this evening."

The two shared a look.

"It's a girl." They agreed simultaneously, and Jane, on the other side of Sherlock, snorted.

"I know I'm supposed to be thrilled that you two get along." She mentioned. "But sometimes, the ease with which you interact worries me."

Thor shot her a smile. "No worries, Jane." He comforted. "I am more than used to having a dramatic dark-haired, sarcastic one nearby."

Jane rolled her eyes.

"And I am used to having the blond-haired do-gooder bumbling around." Sherlock retorted.

"Ahem." John turned around from where he sat in the row in front of them. "I'm right here."

Sherlock raised a brow. "And?"

"Forget him, Watson," Clint clapped the man on the shoulder. "Tell me more about all the boys that keep bugging my only daughter."

John snickered. "For that conversation, you might want to talk to the other doctor," John looked to Dean, who snorted.

"Okay, I raised the brat." He admitted. "But talk to that guy about his son's charming good looks and aptitude to flirt." Clint turned to his other side, where Dean pointed, and Bruce raised his hands.

"I just got here." He promised. "I'm just here to watch our kids cheer and play and win."

"Same!" Rhiannon and Marco, the only Supers not on the field for various reasons, (Aaron was football manager, Xander, Steven and Max played, Leila and JJ cheered, and Ben was the mascot,) sat in the row in front of them, with Steve, Nicole, and the younger children.

"Yeah." Steve shot the adults a wink. "Pipe down!"

The group rolled their eyes and grumbled, but turned back to game.

"By the way," Jane leaned over. "Sherlock and I want to get the kids home as quickly as possible, would you mind running by the school and waiting for the bus, then bringing Xander home?" Thor was surprised at the question, but nodded.

"Of course." He agreed.

Rhi looked back to her mom. "Ugh, you're going to rush off the second the game ends?" At Jane's nod, she grimaced. Then she brightened and turned to her dad. "Can I ride home with you then?"

Thor was doubly surprised, but also thrilled. He nodded. Rhiannon and Thor smiled at each other.

And Sherlock realized then why Rhiannon's smile didn't remind him of her mother…because it was a carbon copy of her father's.

* * *

Thor frowned as he watched the bus suspiciously. It had emptied relatively quickly…but there was no sign of Xander….

Rhiannon stood with her group, talking excitedly about their win, and Thor spared her a look. When he noticed someone else missing, his eyes narrowed, and he strode onto the bus.

Near the back of the bus, resting against the window, sat Xander, and leaning against him, fast asleep and curled into his chest…lay JJ.

Xander caught his dad's eye and grimaced. "She's sleeping." He complained softly, "And I don't want to move her."

"Wake her up." Thor advised, but Xander grimaced.

"Did you know she works two jobs?" Xander whispered abruptly. "She works from 4:30 in the morning to 8:30, then goes straight to school, where she's always at for at least two hours after school every day doing something or other. Then she goes back to work at ten and works till one, three nights a week." Xander shrugged.  
"She needs the sleep."

Thor tilted his head as he looked down at the teen that looked so familiar, but now couldn't place. His nightmares had lessened since he'd started putting effort into bonding with his children, but they'd been so intense that first while that he now wasn't sure what was reality, and what…wasn't.

The young woman was shifty…and from what Thor had overheard, he thought he knew why.

To test his theory, he thought back to his childhood, when he and Loki actually liked being around each other, and he and his brother had come up with an unobtrusive way to get each other's attention in a crowded room.

Then he clenched his teeth together, and

"Tsst, Tsst!"

JJ jerked upright, eyes open and alert. She took in the empty bus in less than a moment, and Thor, with his eyes narrowed and a smirk on his face.

She turned to Xander, abashed. "I totally passed out on you, didn't I?" She inferred wryly, and Xander shrugged.

"I don't mind." He smiled. "At least you don't snore."

JJ rolled her eyes. "Right, thank goodness for that." She stood and addressed Thor.

"Sorry about making you wait," She apologized, sure that accounted for the way Thor was looking at her now.

It didn't…but he'd let her think that for now.

In only an evening he'd learned a lot about his children, but also about Loki…and HIS child.

And people thought Thor was stupid….

* * *

 **THREE**

"Step interact was an awkward success." Clint was the first to speak during session three. "I had no idea my kid was a black belt, but she is now the coolest out of all of your kids."

JJ looked up from a binder she'd been scribbling furiously in, eyes wide. "Uh…ok?" She shook her head. "That was incredible random. You went to the class she teaches then?"

"The self-defense course at the women's shelter?" Clint nodded. "Yes I did. And she's a beast."

"Agreed." JJ smirked. "How about the rest of you?" She asked. "How was this week?"

"I threw the football around with Xander and Luka." Thor spoke up. Sherlock snorted, and Thor grinned.

"Luka may not be athletically inclined, but he has a great arm." Thor admitted. "Jane and Sherlock went out and the kids and I played a pick-up game."

JJ's eyes brightened. "With the twins as well?" Thor nodded. "What do you think of those two?"

"Intelligent." Thor said after a moment. "Sneaky." He added with a chuckle. "They're incredibly smart and know exactly how to get what they want. Luckily I am most accustomed to such behavior."

JJ grinned at Thor's blatant shout out towards his brother. Thor smirked. His theory was right. He just knew it.

"They are quite the mischief makers." She agreed.

Sherlock smiled in satisfaction. "I take that as a compliment." He spoke up.

"Only when their mischief isn't directed at you." JJ pointed out, and Sherlock grinned.

"Exactly."

JJ rolled her eyes. "Well, Sherlock Your opinion?"

"Progress." He nodded. "The kids are becoming comfortable." JJ smiled.

"Good. And the rest of you?" She asked.

"I don't want to talk about." Steve grumbled. JJ raised a brow.

"Aaron is still being a punk." Steve finally admitted. "I've tried to tell him stories about how the only reason I got MY strength was because I wanted it for the right reasons."

"And he only hears half the story?" Tony guessed. "Yeah, Marco's a good kid. I may not've thought I'd have a theatre kid,"

"I always saw this coming." Clint joked. "Your flair for the dramatic is legendary. The fact that your kid inherited it is no surprise."

Tony rolled his eyes. "At least he's not a punk." Tony joked.

"Your kids are not perfect." JJ rolled her eyes. "Just like you're all not perfect. Unless we're talking about Ben…who might actually BE perfect," JJ grinned and Bruce raised a fist in the air in victory, "You guys are learning about your kids, and they're doing the same. And now that we've established a firm foundation for your relationships, you can begin to deliberately build them."

"Step 3?" Thor asked, and JJ nodded.

"Step 3…which is Instigate. You may now orchestrate opportunities for you to hang out with your children, one on one, as well as in groups of all different sizes." JJ shrugged. Your families are all so deeply intertwined that it's hard to tell where one family ends and another begins. Use the allies you've made to divide and conquer." She grinned. "It's your family. Be a part of it." She looked down at her binder, then over at her boss, who sat in her desk working on paperwork but allowed JJ to run the session. Anna shot her a look, then nodded and abruptly left the room.

"What's up, Doc?" Bruce asked. JJ grinned.

"Well…she began slowly, "I know you came here to get help with dealing with your children. I am also aware that there are a lot more issues you're dealing with then just that." She looked over the group in front of her.

"While we've successfully worked through one issue, there are many more. And whether or not you'd like a professional to help with those as well, you'll need each other. Everyone in this room is a part of a family, and more importantly, part of a team. Both new allies…" JJ smiled at Sherlock, "And old. For the most part, I've helped where I can. And I'll be here to talk if you need me…but I think you can handle the rest without me holding your hand."

The Avengers and Sherlock stood.

"Thank you." Steve spoke sincerely. "For your help."

JJ smiled.

"You're welcome. And if you need help with…" JJ pursed her lips, "ANYTHING else," She winked. "You know where to find me."

* * *

"Well, Xander." JJ stopped Xander before he marched onto the field to begin the game. "Good Luck."

Xander smirked. "Thanks," He looked out at the other team. "I might need it."

JJ tilted her head. Then she grinned. "Would it help if you had a little incentive?"

Xander narrowed his eyes. "Like what?"

"Like….you win this game and…" JJ thought for a moment, "And I'll go on a date with you."

Xander flushed. "What?"

JJ just grinned. "You heard me." She moved back to where the rest of her team was, and Xander stood frozen for a moment before a determined light entered his eyes, and he marched forward.

He had a game to win.

* * *

The crowd was a screaming mass of chaos by the end of the first half, the Avengers Academy leading the game, 48-0.

JJ smirked as Xander sent her a bright grin on his way into the locker room. "How about that incentive thought?" He winked at her, and JJ only had enough time to roll her eyes before he was ushered away.

She had her retort more than ready as he exited.

"I wouldn't want you to relax, make you think you can take a break now." JJ called out. Xander paused and shot her an interested look.

"Keep talking." He suggested.

"You end the game with a score of…" She squinted, then grinned, "Exactly 69 points, and I'll give you a kiss."

Xander froze. His eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed a bright red. JJ winked as she was pulled away, and Xander hurried to find his teammates.

"New goal!" He explained in the huddle. "We reach this goal or die trying." He spoke solemnly. "Seriously."

" _This is Life or Death_."

* * *

The football field was a flurry of maroon and white, and the entire Avengers Academy cheer section had bled onto the field to congratulate the new state champions.

Xander accepted the well wishes, and compliments, eye always on the lookout for a certain dark-haired cheer captain….who owed him a forfeit.

"Looking for someone in particular?"

Xander shot Marco a look.

Marco, his dark hair littered with confetti, grinned. "I may or may not have been informed about a wager that you won…two times over." Xander smirked.

"And?" He asked lightly.

"Well, I saw a certain someone head over to concession stand area, if one wanted to collect ones…..winnings." Marco snickered.

Xander leaned over. "Oh really?" He asked brightly. "Well…if you'll just excuse me?" With a nod Marco dismissed Xander, and Xander needed no encouragement…and he was gone.

* * *

Xander slid to a stop at the edge of the concession stand area, eyes glued to the crowd.

"Looking for someone?" Xander whirled around to see JJ, changed into Maroon sweatpants and a white hoodie. Her dark hair flowed down around her shoulders and her smile was warm. She dropped her cheer bag onto the ground as Xander approached.

"See that score out there?" He asked cheekily, and JJ shook her head.

"No I must've missed it." She joked wryly. "How'd the game end?"

Xander stepped forward. "We won." His voice lowered.

"Did we now? And was our end score even worth mentioning?" She teased.

Xander took another step forward, so mere inches separated them.

"Well…" Xander thought for a moment. "I think so."

JJ reached up to place a hand softly on Xander's cheek.

"It was a very good game." She complimented. "I'm impressed."

"How impressed?" Xander pushed, and JJ smirked. She leaned forward….and suddenly Xander felt lips…pressed warmly into his cheek. She moved away slowly.

"Not THAT impressed." She said slyly. Xander huffed, but he grinned.

"I'll still take it." He smiled.

"Good." JJ grinned. She stepped back and reached for her bag, but Xander grabbed it for her, hoisting it over his own shoulder. JJ rolled her eyes but fell into step with the big football star.

"So…Season's over." JJ mentioned. "You've got a few weeks until Basketball starts. Whatever are you going to do with yourself?"

Xander looked down at the young woman he'd crushed on for so long, and who he never thought he had a chance with, and his dimple made a rare appearance.

"I'm sure I'll think of something."

* * *

"Mom?" JJ stepped into her house and dropped her backpack with a sigh. "I actually got out of school at normal time, so if you were free I was wondering,"

JJ paused in the doorway to her living room, frowning. "None of you are my mother." She narrowed her eyes.

"Nope." Clint grinned. "But…you said anytime?"

JJ made a face, then looked at her watch. "I did say that." She agreed. She climbed into her favorite armchair, and gestured for The Avengers…and oddly enough, Sherlock, to take a seat.

"So how can I help you?" She asked.

It was Steve that spoke, but only after making eye contact with everyone on his team.

"We," Steve took a deep breathe.

"We want to talk to you about the cage."

* * *

 **AH! So much is happening. More to happen next chapter! And aren't Xan and J absolutely adorable?! Eh...well I think so anyway!**

 **~CLC~**


	9. Aaron

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Session One;**

 _"We want to tell you about the cage."_

"Alright." JJ leaned over the side of her arm chair to reach for her backpack, pulling out a legal notepad and a pen. She put both in her lap and gestured to the other seats. Sherlock grabbed the arm chair next to her, Thor, Steve, and Tony took the couch, and Clint and Bruce settled onto the love seat. Once everyone was seated, JJ uncapped her pen.

"Tell me about the cage."

Steve huffed. "We're not…"

"How do we start?" Clint rubbed his neck.

JJ smiled encouragingly. "Start with the Final Battle. The last footage we have of you is entering the giant storm cloud hovering over the Pacific Northwest. That storm cloud covered the states of Washington and Oregon for over forty minutes before it completely dissipated…taking you along with it. What happened in the storm cloud?"

"We were approached by the leader of the alien force. They gave us an ultimatum: We concede defeat, and they would leave earth alone…forever."

"It was the easiest and hardest decision we ever made." Steve continued when Bruce paused. "It was us or everyone….So we chose us."

"We thought they'd kill us." Clint chuckled darkly. "We thought they'd cut off our heads and display them in their trophy case."

"They didn't?" Sherlock asked.

"They didn't." Thor agreed. "Instead, they sold us to an unknown group of aliens."

"They wanted to destroy Earth for the profit of it." Tony paused to explain. "They were gonna take over our planet as-is, then begin parting us out."

"So to make up for that loss in profit, they sold you." JJ summarized. "To who?"

The Avengers shared a look. "We still don't know." Steve admitted. "They never showed they're faces."

"They spoke to us through intercom while we were in the cage." Tony added. "Legit, outdated, intercom that squealed every so often."

"We agreed to sacrifice ourselves, and then we all must've blacked out, because the next thing we all remember is waking up in the middle of a forest." Clint described.

"Which we later found out to be The Cage." Bruce added.

JJ nodded slowly, writing something out. "Describe the cage?" She asked, and the group obliged.

"It's about the size of the state of Washington," Clint began. "Mostly forest, with random clearings throughout, and three small rivers that combine into one large one that splits the cage into two."

"The cage is surrounded by what looks like wire fencing." Tony began. "The thick stuff that most people use to fence their yards, but if you touch it, it's solid."

"It rains, and is sunny." Thor added. "It never snowed, but sometimes it hailed or got extremely warm."

"There were regular animals." Steve put in. "Deer and rabbits and squirrels, and a random moose here or there."

"Among other things." Bruce muttered, but so quietly JJ didn't here. She was using quick strokes of her pencil to draw something on the paper. After a few moments and a question or two from Sherlock, JJ cleared her throat.

"Did it look like this?" She asked hesitantly, holding up her paper so the room could see.

After a moment, Clint held out his hand, and she handed it over. Clint pulled it close to his face, looking it over before handing it to Steve, who looked it over and then passed it on as well.

The room was dead silent as everyone took in the drawing, and only when it had made its way back into JJ's grasp did someone speak.

"It's a perfect rendering." Thor spoke lowly. "It looked exactly like your drawing."

"You drew that with just our description?" Tony asked incredulously.

JJ made a face. "…Yes?" She answered, though it sounded more like a question.

Thor tilted his head, thinking, but the rest of the team looked impressed.

"How are you so perfect at everything?" Clint asked surprised, and JJ rolled her eyes.

"It's a gift." Then she grimaced. "And a curse." She looked at her watch and stood. "It's late." She began. "And I have school tomorrow. Let's continue this later, alright? Not super late in the evening next time?" She joked, and the group smiled.

"We'll show up randomly at a more convenient time for you then." Sherlock teased, and JJ smiled.

"Perfect." She agreed. "See you guys later."

She showed them to her door, and with a smile and a word or two in farewell, each person went their separate ways.

Thor stood on the sidewalk for a moment…coming to a conclusion.

A conclusion that painted his brother in a VERY good light, but that Thor was certain was fact.

A conclusion that wasn't exactly true…at least not in the way that Thor thought.

But he wouldn't figure that out until later…MUCH later.

For the moment, Thor accepted his theory as fact and whistled as he walked away, feeling hopeful.

Talking about the cage was a good thing.

* * *

 **New Friends**

"So…is it just me, or has the world shifted on its axis?" Rhiannon plopped into the chair directly across from Leila, and next to Max. Leila narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked, pointing out an error Ben had made in his English paper. Ben grumbled but moved to fix it.

Rhiannon poked Max, who had his head on the table as he snored lightly. "Well, I feel like everything is all of a sudden backwards.

Leila frowned, and pointed out another error in Ben's writing.

"I'm not following." She shrugged.

Marco joined the group at the table, smiling at Rhiannon as he sat next to her. "You're talking about what's going on two tables over?" He guessed.

Rhiannon sighed and nodded. Leila and Ben shared a confused look, then turned slightly to their left.

"Whoa!" Ben whispered harshly. "What the heck is Aaron doing sitting with those punks?"

"And Brittany's over there!" Leila added. She turned back around. "Aaron hates Brittany!"

"And, those guys over there, Jake, Cameron, Bryan and Dylan?" Marco added. "I saw them running off right before JJ and I found Aaron at the bottom of the stairs."

"You think maybe he's setting them up for his revenge?" Max asked. Rhiannon jumped; she thought he'd been asleep.

He winked at her, then turned back to Marco.

"More like they're kissing up to him now that he's stronger then all of them combined." Steven took the seat in between Leila and Marco.

"That's more likely." Marco agreed.

"But he's not going to fall for it." Ben argued. "Now while he has JJ talking sense into him."

"You mean not as long as he's still listening to JJ." Max put in. "Everyone knows that group totally hates JJ for reasons unknown."

"I guess it all depends on how loyal Aaron is to JJ, and to us." Rhiannon said sadly. "I just…don't like it."

"It'll be fine." Ben spoke up encouragingly. "We've been friends since birth, Aaron won't just ditch us. He's a Rogers."

Rhiannon shrugged. "You're right." She looked over to the reference desk. "But that's not the weirdest thing going on."

"What's weirder than Aaron befriending his former bullies?" Steven joked.

"Well….that." Rhiannon jerked her head and the table turned to where she was looking.

"Whoa!" Max squinted. "Are JJ and Xander actually holding a friendly conversation?"

Rhiannon shrugged. "That's what it looks like."

"Nah." Ben shook his head. "That looks like Xander's flirt face."

Marco bit his lip. "You think Xander is flirting with JJ?"

"Of course not!" Max retorted.

"That would never happen!" Rhiannon agreed. "Xander is always insulting her."

"And JJ finds him SOO irritating." Leila nodded.

"Xander wouldn't flirt with JJ." Steven added.

"He must just be messing with her." Ben concluded.

"But you gotta admit," Marco tried, "They do seem to be quite friendly."

The table watched Xander and JJ talk, JJ gesturing wildly with her hands, Xander nodding and grinning.

"You're right. They're actually getting along." Rhiannon squinted. "So weird."

"So if they can be friends…." Marco began slowly… Why can't they be more?"

The group turned to Marco, all stunned. Then, as one, they burst out laughing.

"Now that," Leila wiped her eyes. "That's funny."

"What's funny?" Aaron slid into the chair next to Ben.

The group shrugged, and Ben patted Aaron's arm.

"You wouldn't believe it even if we told you." He chuckled.

"Hey, I don't want to have to kick you out, but this is a library." JJ appeared behind Marco's chair. "So y'all need to pipe down."

Xander took the last empty seat, in between Aaron and Max. "What'd I miss?" He asked brightly, and the group smiled.

"Nothing." Marco answered with a wink. "Nothing at all."

* * *

 **Session Two;**

"Alright, so you've told me what the cage looks like," JJ sat with her legs tucked under her on Steve's back porch. The Avengers and Sherlock, once more, sat scattered around her.

"Which I must ask," Sherlock interrupted. "Your captors were obviously alien, but the cage looked predominantly earth-like?" He asked skeptically. "there's a jump in logic there."

"We didn't say it made sense." Tony shrugged. "But that's how it was."

"You know what I was thinking about?" Clint spoke up. "I took Leila and Rhiannon to see that movie that just came out, the one based on the book?"

"The hunger games?" JJ guessed, and Clint nodded.

"Exactly…..well, it kind of reminded me of the cage." He admitted. "Had really bad nightmares for a week after that stupid movie." He huffed. "And it wasn't even that good."

"Nicole dragged me to that movie too." Steve admitted. "I reacted the same way."

"Did you also have to fight to the death against other captives or," Sherlock made quotation marks with his fingers "tributes?"

The Avengers shared a look. "You've seen the movie?" Bruce raised a brow.

Sherlock made a face. "I have twin daughters. Of course I've seen it."

"Sherlock does bring up a good point," JJ spoke slowly. "You were trapped in the cage. Your captors could've killed you, but they didn't. So what did they do instead?"

Thor grimaced. "We didn't sit around and do nothing, that's for sure."

JJ narrowed her eyes. "DID they pit you against other captives?"

"No." Steve was quick to respond. "There may have sometimes been other "guests" that somehow shared the cage with us for a while, but we never fought or hurt THEM."

"And they also didn't last very long." Tony snorted.

"What happened to them?" JJ asked. Bruce sighed heavily.

"The monsters got them."

"Monsters?" Sherlock scoffed. "Speaking figuratively, or"

"Speaking of huge, scaly, killer things, some that were familiar to us but others that weren't." Tony stood, spitting out words as if he didn't even want to speak them, let alone even mention the beasts. "The stuff of nightmares, the creatures you thought were just made up, but are actually REAL, and FLESH, and trying to kill you."

Sherlock inclined his head in apology.

"They put these monsters in the cage…to kill you?" JJ asked, trying to understand.

"More like to test us." Steve admitted. "If we died, that was a downside, but the real purpose seemed to be to see how much we could take."

"We lived because we had each other." Bruce added slowly. "We could take turns sleeping and keeping watch and hunting….but others weren't so lucky."

Clint rubbed a hand over the side of his face, weary. "We saw a lot of people who were too terrified or just outright refused to let us help them, and they didn't make it." He added. "Near the end, it had been nearly six months since we'd seen any beast or human added to the cage."

"And then you got out." JJ finished slowly.

"And then we got out." Steve repeated, nodding.

"Sorry to interrupt," Nicole stepped onto the porch with a grimace, "But JJ, your mom needs you to come home right away."

JJ frowned. "Did he say why?"

Nicole shrugged. "Apparently your dad stopped by for a visit."

JJ stood abruptly. Thor tilted his head at her sudden agitation. He smirked.

"Sorry boys," She smiled at the men. "When the father calls, you answer, in haste."

"Understandable." Thor responded smoothly. JJ narrowed her eyes, and Thor simply smiled. "You should go."

JJ nodded. "Right." She said suspiciously. "Okay then." She sent the group a look. "We'll continued this later." And as JJ grabbed her backpack and entered Steve's house, Tony frowned.

"I forgot the kid even had parents." He admitted.

"Of course she has parents!" Clint scoffed. "She's still a kid." Then he frowned too. "But you're right. I haven't met either of them."

"Maybe she's ashamed of them?" Bruce asked. "You know, because they're not as cool as us?"

Steve snorted. "that's definitely not the case." He promised.

"I agree." Thor added, sending Steve a thoughtful look. "I'm sure her parents are just busy."

Steve looked at Thor thoughtfully.

"Yeah." He nodded. "What Thor said."

* * *

 **Aaron and JJ**

"Hey JJ!" Steve smiled. "Long time no see." He joked.

JJ grinned. "Captain." She inclined her head. "You're right about that."

"Is that my favorite girl?" Nicole bustled over from the kitchen, smiling brightly. She pulled JJ into a hug. "Ugh, it has been far too long my dear." JJ returned the hug with a laugh.

"Agreed, Mrs. Rogers. Is Aaron upstairs?" Nicole nodded, and handed JJ a large tray of cookies.

"His food intake has increased dramatically." She explained. "If I don't send these up right now, he'll show up in five minutes asking for it."

JJ took the tray and then shot Steve a look. "Spoiled!" She fake coughed, and Steve chuckled.

Nicole crossed her arms. "He's my baby, it's my right as a mother. Now go, shoo." Nicole pushed JJ over to the stairs, and JJ took them two at a time. Nicole looked over to Steve, who was still chuckling, and smacked him on the arm.

"Ow!" He blurt, rubbing his arm. Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for ganging up on me." She complained good-naturally.

Steve shrugged. "But is she wrong?" Nicole rolled her eyes and returned to the kitchen, and Steve shrugged and moved back to the garage, where he was attempting to fix up his bike. He grinned when he saw who was waiting for him….

Looks like it wasn't just a day for Aaron and JJ to catch up, Steve reasoned as he grinned at his own best friend.

* * *

"Your mom sends cookies and told me to tell you to make sure I at least get three before you eat them all." JJ joked, handing Aaron the tray of cookies and plopping onto his bed. Aaron shoved a cookie in his mouth and turned away from his computer screen to send a grin JJ's way.

"No promises," He allowed, smiling at his friend. "We haven't done this in a long time."

"Agreed!" JJ smiled. "Did you miss me?" She teased, and Aaron rolled his eyes.

"Maybe a little." He agreed, moving to take a seat next to her on his bed. "So..wanna watch crap reality TV?"

JJ beamed. "Always!"

"Oh come on, she's obviously a much worse walker than the other one, you can't keep HER!" JJ argued.

"Yeah, but she's hotter." Aaron combated. "Definitely more America's Next Top Model than the better walker.

JJ grumbled. "She reminds me of Brittany." She muttered, and Aaron wiggled his eyebrows.

"Like I said," Aaron smirked. "Hotter."

JJ shot her best friend a look. "Aaron Grant," She spoke slowly. "Is that a thing?"

Aaron shrugged. "Maybe." HE answered slyly, and JJ's mouth dropped. "Oh my WORD." She shoved Aaron lightly. "You're joking."

"I don't know." Aaron shrugged. "Maybe. We'll see." But his grin was bright, and JJ shook her head.

"Well, if that's what chaps your khaki's." She agreed. "But be careful with that one."

Aaron furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"Just that that group she hangs out with aren't the nicest people." JJ hedged slowly.

Aaron shot her a look. "They're not that bad." He argued.

"They pushed you down the stairs." JJ answered bluntly, and Aaron's face turned red.

"It was an accident." He blustered.

"So THAT's their story." JJ snorted, and Aaron frowned.

"They told me you would do this." He crossed his arms.

"Do WHAT?" JJ asked, crossing her own arms.

"Try to turn me against them!" His voice raised, and JJ laughed in shock.

"What?! No, it sounds like they're doing that with ME!" She argued. "And I'm your best FRIEND."

"You were." Aaron retorted, and JJ's mouth dropped open in outrage.

"Aaron! Those guys are bullies, and the things they say are HORRIBLE."

"They're nice to ME." Aaron argued, his voice raising. "They want me to be HAPPY."

"And I DON'T?!" JJ laughed incredulously. "Aaron, all I said was that you should watch out for those guys-"

"THOSE GUYS," Aaron interrupted, "want to be my FRIEND."

"All of a sudden? Right after your change?" JJ asked. "Doesn't that smell a little funky to you?"

"No. It doesn't." Aaron retorted. "Why does it bother you? Afraid you can't use me as your "IN" with the Supers group?"

"How DARE YOU," JJ began, but a soft knock interrupted them.

"Everything ok in there?" Nicole asked slowly, and the interruption had both teenagers calming down.

"It's fine, Mom." Aaron spoke brightly. "Just an argument over who's English essay is better."

"Obviously mine." JJ added, just as brightly, and Nicole chuckled and with a warning to lower their voices, left.

Aaron and JJ stared at each other in silence for a moment, and then Aaron wilted.

"I didn't mean it like that." He admitted, and JJ nodded.

"I don't know those guys the way you do." JJ added. "If you trust them, that's good enough for me." She smiled. "I shouldn't have implied they were up to no good. You can be friends with whoever you want."

"I know you're not using me." Aaron shrugged. "I'm sorry I said that. I know you better than that."

JJ smiled. "Darn right you do! We're best friends forever."

Aaron smiled. "Exactly. Best Friends forever." The two friends slowly turned back to their show, and a little over an hour later, JJ said her goodbyes. The second JJ was out the door, Aaron grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey." He said the second whoever was on the opposite end answered. "She did exactly what you said she would."

He looked out the window and watched JJ walk towards her car.

"It's like I don't even know her." He admitted. "And I never even realized until you told me." He listened for a few moments, and then he smiled.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow at school?" He nodded.

"Goodbye Brittany."

* * *

 **Session Three**

"Alright. I'd like to hear what you guys have to say on the day you escaped." JJ bit into a large slice of pizza, eyeing the Avengers interestedly.

They sat around the main desk at The Spiel bowling alley, JJ behind the desk and wearing a neon green shirt. She eyed the men around her expectantly.

Sherlock was absent, he had been forced into taking the girls to see a movie, (the SAME one, for the FOURTH time,) but everyone else was present.

"Well, it was a normal day." Steve began. "We were talking strategy when Thor came running up, said some chick had appeared out of nowhere, and with her, a door."

JJ's eyes widened. "a chick and a door?" She repeated, shocked.

Clint shrugged. "The chick was gone by the time we got there, but the door wasn't."

"We walked through it, and landed in Australia." Bruce continued.

"Where I promptly accosted a jogger." Tony grinned.

JJ's face paled. "Please tell me you didn't accost Chuck Norris on an abandoned road in Australia." She pleaded, and Tony's eyes narrowed.

"How did you know that?" Steve asked suspiciously.

"We didn't tell anyone that." Bruce added.

Clint's lips pursed, and JJ looked towards Thor, who was watching her slowly.

"You were the girl." Thor spoke gently. "Who appeared with door."

JJ opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Steve shot Thor a look. "You recognized her." He accused. "At the assembly that first day. But you wouldn't say anything."

"I didn't want to be wrong." Thor admitted. "I had to be sure."

"You brought the door?" Clint asked.

JJ shrugged, eyes panicked. "I thought it was a dream." She whispered. "Sometimes I have these weird dreams…and they seem so real, and that was one of them." She shook her head. "I was looking at this fence-thing, and when I touched it, it felt smooth, and it freaked me out so bad I wanted to leave…and then I looked farther down, and all of a sudden there was a door, and so I walked through it." JJ shrugged. "I heard a shout, but before I could turn around the dream changed, and it was Tony man-handling chuck Norris." She laughed a little hysterically. "I didn't know it was REAL."

"You can dream walk or something?" Tony asked. He brightened. "That is so COOL."

"No." Clint spoke up. It's weird. Really weird, actually."

JJ shrugged. "I do a lot of weird things." She admitted. "The dream thing doesn't happen all that often." Thor snorted lightly, but didn't comment. He had his own theories on that one.

"So YOU saved us…accidentally." Bruce shook his head. "That's…amazing."

"I guess." JJ shrugged. But then she frowned. "But this leads us to a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Tony argued. "We're free, and alive, and you saved us…yay!"

"Well, I'd just assumed you guys won…whatever it is your alien hosts were doing with you, and let you go." She admitted. "If they didn't let you go willingly…."

"They might come back for us." Steve realized suddenly.

"Or they'll demand a refund and those crazy aliens we fought twelve years ago will come back and claim earth because we reneged on our deal." Clint added.

"So we might be in some trouble." Steve sighed. "Why can't life ever be easy?"

Thor smirked. "Like we're that lucky." He looked to JJ.

"So what do we do?"

JJ leaned back, hands raised. "Whoa." She argued. "Why are you asking me?"

Clint shrugged. "Like we know what we're doing? You're like our…."

"Therapist?" JJ asked dryly.

"Well, I was going to say spirit guide, but therapist works too." Clint rolled his eyes. "You're helping fix our relationships with our kids, and working through all our anxieties, and apparently you've got superpowers, so that technically makes you more of an Avenger than a Super,"

"Which is only an avengers legacy, and you're more than that," Steve added.

"I'm not even a super." JJ argued. "Apparently." She muttered under her breath. Steve frowned, but she shrugged. "Anyway," She said in a louder voice. "I have the resources to help you get to know your kids and work through your nightmares, NOT," she stressed, to help you find/fight back against some unknown alien force."

"I think you're more than capable of helping us." Thor spoke up, eyes narrowed. "What's stopping you?"

JJ huffed. "I spend the majority of my life dealing with your kids and all of their problems. I'm not adding yours to my plate."

"Too late." Bruce shook his head.

"What harm can you do?" Steve asked. "Why not help us out with this too?"

JJ narrowed her eyes and looked at the group in front of her.

"Okay." She agreed, and The Avengers grinned. "I'll help. BUT," She warned,

"Let's keep me helping you out on the down low." She asked. "No offense, but I'd rather be barely a super than an Avenger." She rolled her eyes.

The avengers shared a look, then nodded.

"Deal!" They agreed.

"Alright." JJ leaned over. "This is where we start…."

* * *

 **A Private Session**

"No, dad, I'll be fine. You and mom go on your weird bro-date, have fun. Talk about me, your brother, whatever it is that you guys actually talk about." JJ rolled her eyes. "And I'll be at home, stuffing my face, doing homework, planning world domination, alien-hunting, and watching scary movies." JJ grinned. "You know; the usual." The doorbell rang, and JJ padded down the hallway with a grimace.

"It's not so much that they scare me," she argued, "But I enjoy the suspense of it." She opened the door with a jerk, and paused, eyes wide in shock. "Er…I gotta go. No everything's fine." She assured, gesturing for the guest at the door to step inside, "I just gotta take care of something. Okay, bye." She hung up her phone and crossed her arms, staring confused at the man in front of her.

"Barton." She greeted. "What can I do for you?"

Clint Barton sighed.

"I'm ready." He said.

JJ's eyebrows rose. "Ready for what?" She asked.

Clint sighed, but nodded.

"I'm finally ready to talk about Tasha."

* * *

 **OH MY WORD SO MUCH IS OCCURRING...**

 **AaronisajerkandTheAvengershaveamysteryontheirhandsandwhatisgoingonwithJJandherweirdpowersandthewholefamilythingissoconfusingbutmaybeit'sacluebutseriouslywhatandthenclintthepoormanbabyandhe'sreadytotalkabouttahsaandthathurtsmysoulandiwanttodiewhyyyyyyyyy?!**

 **More craziness next chapter!**

 **~CLC~**


	10. Divide and Conquer

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Rhiannon/Leila/JJ & Bucky/Clint: A Christmas Cruise**

"So you made that?"

Bucky snorted into his drink. He followed Clint's gaze, to where JJ, Rhiannon, and Leila sat around the pool, talking and laughing loudly.

"Well, I had help, obviously." He dead-panned, "But yes. She's mine."

Clint nodded slowly. "And you were born in 1917."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "That's right."

Clint shook his head. "But how old are you?"

"Technically? 37." Bucky shrugged. "98."

"Wow." Clint laughed. "And I know this is coming from the guy who was abducted by aliens and thrown into an alien version of The Hunger Games, but….that's weird."

Bucky laughed. "Yes." He agreed. "I know." He sighed. "But life has honestly always been a ride, especially with I'll-pick-a-fight-with-a-tree-if-its-bullying-and-I-only-weigh-ten-pound-Rogers."

Clint smirked. "I wish I could've seen that." He grinned.

Bucky shook his head. "He gave me so many gray hairs."

"Oh…so those aren't from JJ?" Clint joked, and Bucky laughed.

"I mostly missed the teen angst," He admitted, "But even then, from what I've been told, she was a very easy teenager."

"Ah, yes, the elusive other father." Clint nodded slowly. "Who is he, by the way?" He asked bluntly and Bucky shook his head.

"I'll tell you when you're older," He patted Clint's arm, and Clint rolled his eyes.

"Right, okay mom." He mocked. Then he turned serious. "But honestly…how do you, as a man, raise your daughter…without a woman in her life?"

"It's not easy." Bucky admitted. "But I'm lucky she has Pepper and Nicole and Jane. And I let her be who she is."

"But really…" Clint pressed, "What about boys?"

Bucky laughed. "So that's what this is about."

"Of course that's what this is about!" Clint scoffed. "I just got her back, now I lose her to some punk?!"

"Ben's not a punk." Bucky reprimanded, and Clint grinned.

"So it's BEN that she likes, is it?"

Bucky winced. "You didn't know that?"

Clint rolled his eyes. "I'd guessed, but you confirmed it for me, just now." Clint huffed. "Are they dating?" He asked worriedly, and Bucky shook his head.

"No." He admitted. "But they've been flirting for years, so I would prepare yourself for inevitability of it."

Clint made a face. "I'd rather just kill him now." He admitted. He perked up. "Hey! Will you help me hide the body?"

Bucky laughed. "No! Barton,"

"Clint," he corrected. "We're both dealing with female teenagers, we're brothers in arms. We're at first names."

Bucky smirked. "Clint," He repeated, "Ben is a good kid, and he adores Leila. It could be worse."

Clint smirked. "Yeah, it could be Thor's punk of a son she's in love with."

Bucky groaned. "Don't remind me."

Clint furrowed his brow. Then his eyes widened in shock. "Wait. Are he and JJ?" Clint asked incredulously, and Bucky nodded glumly. Clint burst out laughing.

"Shut up." Bucky whined, but Clint just laughed harder.

"What do you think their laughing about?" Rhiannon asked, watching the two fathers interact.

"Probably the perils of raising girls." JJ guessed, removing her sunglasses to peer at the men.

"You think so?" Leila snorted.

"No, I think Clint's asking Mom if you and Ben are dating." JJ smirked, and Leila's mouth dropped.

"Me and Ben?!" She squeaked. "Why, I never," She fanned her self lightly as if in shock, but couldn't help the grin that spread over her face.

"Uh huh." Rhiannon nodded disbelievingly. "Yeah, you're right. You two would never work."

"Even though you two have been skirting around each other for the last two years." JJ added.

"And he's totally head over heels for you." Rhiannon input.

Leila laughed. "Okay, fine, I totally have the hots for Ben." She shrugged. "But he won't make a move."

"He's totally waiting to make sure your dad doesn't kill him." Rhiannon guessed with a laugh.

"Probably." Leila pouted. "My dad's so off-putting. But if he'd just give Ben a chance…"

"Just give him time." JJ advised. "He's going through a lot, they all are. He'll see soon enough that it's a GOOD thing you fell in love…IN HOUSE, if you know what I mean." JJ winked, and Leila snickered.

Rhiannon made a face. "Is it bad if I'd rather fall in love OUT OF HOUSE, than in?" She asked. "Barring Ben and, well, Xander's okay but he's my brother, so gross, the rest of them aren't really my type."

"Totally understandable." Leila nodded. "Don't worry, Rhi, you and JJ will find love soon enough."

Rhi shot JJ a look. "I kind of think JJ already has."

JJ looked up from her phone, where she'd been grinning stupidly. "What?" She asked, and Leila and Rhiannon laughed.

"Oh my gosh, you totally have a crush!" Leila clapped her hands. "I didn't realize, but now that I do, it's SO obvious!"

"It is NOT obvious!" JJ argued, cheeks burning.

"But you're not denying that there IS a crush!" Leila observed.

"And you're blushing!" Rhiannon squealed. "Oh my gosh you're in LOVE! Who is it?!"

JJ sputtered. "What…why would you even.."

"Is it someone in house?" Leila pondered.

"Rhi just said the only one who was okay," JJ argued,

"I also said my brother wasn't bad," Rhiannon added, and her eyes narrowed as she thought. She turned to Leila, and the two shared a look. Then they shook their heads.

"Nah." They agreed at the same time.

"So who is it?" Leila asked.

"Is it someone we know?" Rhiannon grinned.

JJ threw up her hands. "I'm not doing this right now." She argued.

"Aw, come on!" JJ's best friends pleaded, and JJ shook her head.

"Who even suggested this stupid cruise over Christmas break anyway?" She complained.

"That would be you." Leila answered promptly.

"Come on! Spill!" Rhiannon begged.

JJ shook her head, refusing to budge, and eventually, the girls gave up.

But the two week cruise was only on its third day. They had plenty of time to get to the bottom of it.

Of course, they hadn't realized how stubborn JJ would be.

They'd found out somehow, of course.

…Eventually.

* * *

 **Xan/Luka/Max/Steven & Sherlock/John/Thor: Mountains **

"Morning old people!" Max slid down the stair banister to smile at the adults. "And my brethren!" Max winked at Xander, and Xander's younger brother Luka.

John rolled his eyes. "Is there something wrong with your legs, Max?"

Max's eyes narrowed, then he began to hobble outrageously. "Oh! Er, YES! Much pain, such hurt!" He moaned dramatically, practically dragging himself to the kitchen table.

Xander rolled his eyes and Luka grinned.

John shot his son an exasperated look. "Where did you come from?" He questioned, and Sherlock snorted.

"That's a question not fit for breakfast." He shot out, and Thor grinned.

"Uh..ew?" Max wrinkled his nose. "That's a question never to be discussed or asked, again."

"Agreed." Xander nodded. He threw some food on a plate and handed it to Max. "So, what's the plan, now that everyones awake?" He asked.

Thor stood to refill his coffee cup. "Well," He began. "We've been here for a week and still no one's felt the need to actually go ON the mountain that we're staying on top off."

"Not true." Luka spoke up. "We went tubing yesterday."

"For 20 minutes?" Sherlock raised a brow skeptically. "I'm sure that extensive time period out in the cold and nature was more than enough for you fragile spirits?"

Max shrugged. "Is it our fault that the all the chicks are inside instead of out snowboarding?"

"We came to hang out with each other, not to pick up ladies." John chastised.

"Really?" Max shot his dad a look. "Tell that to the paper in your pocket. How many numbers have you gotten so far?"

John shot his son a dry look. "That's different."

Xander started laughing.

"Wrong." Max tossed his head, throwing his bangs out of his eyes. "You have a problem."

Xander's head hit the table.

"You're ridiculous." John shook his head.

"And you're a player." Max shook his head mournfully, and Xander had to leave the kitchen. "This is not how I raised you."

Sherlock and Thor shared a smirk, and John sighed heavily.

"Alright; how about this; Thor," John turned to the taller man. "Why don't you take the boys out on the mountain? Give Sherlock and I a chance to catch up, and we'll meet you at the lodge for lunch?"

Thor thought for a moment, then nodded. "If the boys agree."

Max sighed heavily. "Fine. I suppose that'll do."

Xander finally stepped back into the room. "Do you even know how to snowboard?" He asked his dad, interested, and Thor shrugged.

"I've been known to hit the slopes every now and then." He answered enigmatically, and Xander raised a brow.

"Well, we'll see about that."

* * *

"So, what do you think of the guy?"

"I think he's too blond and too tall and too charming for his own good." Sherlock answered briskly.

John raised a brow.

Sherlock huffed. "I wanted to hate him." He admitted. "When he first appeared I wanted to brag that I had got the girl, that he had lost, that intellectual had finally beaten the physical."

"But then he showed up?" John guessed.

"And he was…nice." Sherlock shuddered. "He was very understanding, and not pushy. He wanted to get to know his children and he didn't want to step on my toes. He thanked me."

"And that threw you." John nodded. "He's a good guy."

"He's a very good guy." Sherlock admitted. "And he's a distant father, but a good one."

"And how are the kids doing?" John took a drink of coffee and crossed his arms.

"They're adjusting." Sherlock shrugged. "nearly seven months and we're finally becoming comfortable around each other."

"No fights?" John asked.

Sherlock laughed. "There have actually been several." He admitted. "But never in the vicinity of the children and it has never overshadowed our agreed vow to focus on what's best for the kids."

"And would you say you guys are friends?" John pushed, and Sherlock thought about that for a moment.

Then, looking surprised, he nodded.

"Yes…I would say that."

* * *

"So Sherlock lost a bet." John blurted out over lunch.

The children and Thor had come in pink-cheeked and hair tousled, speaking about snowboarding and their plans to hit the slopes immediately after lunch. Apparently the sport had got to them.

"What kind of bet?" Luka asked, head tilted.

John smirked. "That's not important."

"Yeah." Max spoke with his mouth full and food flew everywhere. "What's important is his FORFEIT."

Xander shot max a disgusted look. "You're gross." He complained, throwing a napkin at Max's face. Then he turned to his stepfather. "What was the forfeit?"

Sherlock grimaced. "Apparently I'll be joining you on the slopes this afternoon."

The kids paused mid-bite, shared a look, and then burst out laughing.

"No way." Max chortled. "No WAY."

Xander just laughed, so hard that he couldn't speak.

Luka tried to hide his smile, but it grew on his face without his permission.

"Hey." Thor smacked the kids lightly on the back of the head. "Be nice. Who knows? Maybe Sherlock will be almost as good as me."

Sherlock raised a brow. "Who knows?" He repeated. "I might be better than you."

That sent the kids into peals of laughter, and Thor smirked.

"Ambitious." He nodded approvingly. "I guess we'll find out on the slopes won't we?"

Sherlock nodded in agreement, though he looked a little nervous at the prospect.

But surprisingly enough, Sherlock was quite the snowboarder.

In fact…he WAS better than Thor, and everyone was suitably shocked…except for Thor, who beamed with pride.

"I knew you had it in you." He slapped Sherlock on the back as if he had single-handedly taught Sherlock everything he knew.

Sherlock and John shared a look and rolled their eyes.

Their retreat in the mountains was going more successfully than anyone had anticipated.

Who knew "divide and conquer" would work so well?

Besides JJ, of course.

* * *

 **Steven/Ben/Marco & Tony/Dean/Steve/Bruce: Beach**

"Ugh. Why'd we pick the beach anyway?" Steve wiggled uncomfortable as he attempted to shake the sand out of his swim trunks.

Tony smirked. "Because I'd rather be under the sun than surrounded by snow."

"And everyone agreed." Bruce added.

"Also, Thor called dibs on the mountains and this was second best." Ben piped up.

Dean snorted. "You only wanted to go to the mountains because you know I'm not a fan of the snow." He accused and Ben grinned.

"Exactly!" He shot Dean a thumbs up, and Dean threw a handful of sand at the kid.

Unfortunately, Steve stood in between the two, and the majority of the sand fell on his head.

Dean choked down his grin, but the kids had no such restraint.

Ben, Marco, and Steven burst into loud laughter, and Steve crossed his arms.

"Ha ha, very funny." He rolled his eyes. "But now what am I supposed to do?" He groaned, looking down at the sand that covered him from head to toe."

"Well…." Steven's gaze was drawn to the left. "I have an idea."

Everyone followed Steven's look, and grinned.

"Surfing?" Steve asked skeptically. "I don't know about that."

Tony stood from where he'd been lounging in between Dean and Bruce. "It's easy, old man." He smacked Steve in the shoulder, and Steve winced, Tony's hand having landed right on the sunburn Steve had gotten a few days ago. "I'll teach you."

"You know how to surf?" Marco asked skeptically.

Tony shrugged. "I used to hit the beach all the time." He smiled. "I'm sure I've still got it."

"And if you don't?" Ben asked, grinning.

Tony lowered his sunglasses to look at Ben seriously.

"I do."

"I guess we'll find out." Bruce whispered to Dean, who grinned in response.

"This should be good." Dean whispered back.

And it was.

* * *

Tony didn't have it.

Steve didn't have it either.

Ben seemed to enjoy falling into the water too much to actually figure out if HE had it or not, and Steven refused to try, yelling encouragement from the edge of the water.

Marco was the only one who seemed like he knew what he was doing, and he caught the waves more often than not.

Bruce shook his head wryly as he watched the group of surfers cheer on Marco and his sick moves.

Marco bowed in the middle of a wave, causing him to fall, and the cheers turned to boos.

"What a ham." Bruce said affectionately, and Dean snorted in agreement.

"He's a stark." Dean mentioned. "He was born a ham." Bruce smiled.

"I won't argue with you there." The two watched the rest of their group, and then Bruce turned to Dean.

"I know I've said it before," Bruce shrugged, "But I want to thank you."

"Thank me?" Dean raised a brow, lifting a beer to his mouth. "For what?"

"For caring for Ben."

"Oh, that." Dean shrugged. "You don't have to thank me for that."

"I do." Bruce repeated. "You took him in when his own family refused to."

Dean shook his head. "They're not real family, then." He argued. "You don't abandon your family, ever."

Bruce tilted his head. "You don't think they were justified?" Bruce asked interested.

Dean shook his head adamantly. "Absolutely not."

"Even though Ben can hulk?" Bruce pressed. "Even though people call him a monster?"

Dean smiled wryly. "There's a little bit of monster in all of us." He admitted. "If I ran at the sight of that, I'd have left the majority of my friends and family a long time ago."

"Monsters don't scare you?" Bruce raised a brow.

Dean's smile was secretive. "I'm not afraid of monsters." He shrugged. "Monsters are afraid of ME."

"Okay, so maybe I don't have it." Tony interrupted, breathless. "But the only reason I DON'T have it is because obviously, I very graciously passed it down to my son."

Steve shook his head. "Sure Tony." He agreed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say."

"Are you guys ready to head in?" Bruce asked, and the teenagers nodded.

"Please!" they begged, and with that unanimous decision, the group packed up their gear to go find food.

"Hey, Steve." Tony clapped Steve's back, on his sunburn once more, and Steve winced. "I've been meaning to ask, what happened to your kid?"

Steve looked at the rest of their group, a few feet ahead of them.

"He's in Vegas with a group of friends from school." Steve admitted, voice low.

Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Whoa. What friends?"

"That's the question." Steve shrugged. "I've never met them. Nicole has once, I think, and she gave him the go-ahead, but I think these are the kids that we've been hearing about."

"The punks?" Tony raised a brow. "I thought they hated the Supers because they were jealous?"

Steve shrugged. "That's what I thought too. But Aaron is getting pretty close with them, and"

"And you don't like it?" Tony guessed. "Have you asked JJ about it?"

Steve grimaced. "I've tried. But she just says she's staying out of it and trusting that Aaron knows what he's doing."

"Does he know what he's doing?" Tony asked, and Steve winced.

"That's the question." He admitted.

Tony sighed and shook his head.

Only time would tell.

* * *

 **Nikki/Becca/Jamie & Nicole/Pepper/Jane: Spa**

"I'll be the first to admit," Pepper sighed as the masseuse rubbed hard at a knot in her back, "That I thought everyone splitting up during the holidays would be a really bad idea."

"But it's AWESOME." Nicole groaned, her masseuse hitting a sensitive spot.

"We really needed a chance to get away." Jane agreed.

"And the men have a chance to bond with their kids without us being in the way." Pepper nodded.

"I'm so bummed that this is our last day though." Nicole admitted. "I could live at this spa forever."

Pepper and Jane laughed.

"Agreed." Pepper grinned. "Why don't we take a twelve year vacation and let the men deal with all of the kids?"

The women grinned, then grimaced.

"Of course, they didn't really take a vacation." Jane mentioned slowly.

"True." Nicole huffed. "But they seem to be doing better."

"The nightmares seem to be doing better." Pepper added.

"It must be their therapist." Nicole thought. "Ever since they've been going to sessions they've been doing much better."

Jane frowned. "Therapist?"

"Yeah." Nicole sat up from her massage. "The person they've been seeing once a week for the last few months."

"Sherlock told me they haven't been back to that therapists office after the first few times." Jane furrowed her brows.

The women shared a look. "Then where have they been going?" Pepper asked slowly.

Jane shrugged. "All Sherlock would say is that they've been getting help from a little blue J."

Nicole made a face. "Blue Jay?"

"Two of them." Jane nodded. The women thought for a moment, then simultaneously, they reached the same conclusion.

"JJ" They said together.

Nicole huffed. "So not only does the kid keep our kids from killing each other, but she's helping our husbands as well?"

"What would we do without her?" Pepper shook her head with a smile.

Jane smiled. "Let's hope we never find out." She advised, and the other women nodded in agreement.

JJ was only 17; but somehow she kept the peace.

JJ…was a godsend.

And thought it wasn't very likely, all three women hoped nothing…and no one, would push JJ away from their family unit.

* * *

 **Aaron & PUNKS: A Vegas New Year**

"Aaron!" Aaron jumped lightly when Brittany appeared out of nowhere and draped herself over him. "What are you thinking about?" She purred in his ear.

Aaron shrugged. "Nothing." He said…then he tilted his head. "Well, actually, I'm just thinking about what everyone else is up to." He admitted.

Brittany scoffed.

"Probably singing Kum-Bi-Yah around a fire." Cameron snorted. "Why waste time on those guys?"

Aaron shot Cameron a look. "Those guys are my friends." He said a little coldly.

"And why?" Because your parents were friends 20 years ago?" Dylan scoffed. "Shouldn't you be allowed to choose your own friends instead of having some forced on you by your parents?"

"Of course." Aaron agreed. "But they haven't done anything to me." He argued. "So watch what you say about them."

Dylan made a face, but raised his hands in mock surrender. "Of course."

Brittany squeeze Aaron, distracting him from glaring at Dylan. "Stop thinking about your friends." She pleaded. "They're not here." She leaned forward and kissed Aaron, hard. "But I am." She smiled wickedly at Aaron's glazed eyes. "Think about me instead."

Aaron nodded a little dumbly.

"Right. Ok." He agreed, and as Brittany leaned forward to press her mouth to his once more, Dylan and Cameron shared a victorious look and bumped fists.

They almost had him.

* * *

 **Ugh Teenagers are douchebags. Aaron is a weak little boy for following them, and the rest of the Avengers and Supers are adorable and bonding and I love them ALL. Who's your favorite Avenger and Super so far?**

 **~CLC~**


	11. Infection

**This is the beginning of the end...of a friendship... :'(**

 **Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Brittany**

"Wow, I've never sat up here before." Brittany Saunders simpered up at her boyfriend of, apparently three days, Aaron Rogers.

Aaron grinned, as if nothing were wrong, arm wrapped around his new "girlfriend."

"It's a pretty nice view up here." He shrugged. "We like it, anyway."

Brittany rolled her eyes, but said nothing else.

The other Supers all stared in quiet astonishment at the bleach-blond junior currently seated in JJ's chair, not sure what to say.

"Uhhhh…" Xander opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Aaron and Brittany ignored the rest of the table, eating their lunch and sharing heated looks.

The rest of the table waited in breathless anticipation for JJ to say what they were all thinking. Fortunately for them, they didn't have to wait long.

JJ hopped up the stairs with a bright smile that bled into a confused frown as she stepped up behind her usual chair…which Brittany now occupied.

For a few moments, she didn't move, just staring down in shock at the junior, then looking askance at where Aaron's arm was wrapped around her shoulders, then at the rest of the table, who simply shrugged, not sure what to do.

JJ forced a smile onto her face and moved so Brittany could see her.

"Oh Hey Brittany!" JJ greeted brightly. Brittany shot JJ a slightly disgusted look.

"Hey." She greeted curtly.

"I think your brother was looking for you." JJ added with a forced smile.

Brittany sniffed. "I'll talk to him later." She snapped.

JJ grimaced. "It looked like it was urgent." She pressed, and with a heavy sigh, Brittany stood and flounced down the stairs, but not before planting a long…thorough kiss on Aaron's mouth.

JJ looked at the table, then at Aaron, who still looked as if nothing was wrong.

"Uhm…..Aaron?" JJ asked slowly.

"Yeah?" Aaron asked, eyes wide and innocent.

"Is there something you'd like to share?"

"Oh." Aaron grinned. "Brittany and I are dating now."

JJ pursed her lips. "Ok."

"I thought you didn't like her." Ben raised a hand.

"Well I do." Aaron shrugged.

"Ok." Rhiannon and Leila shared a look. "But what is she doing sitting with us?"

Aaron furrowed his brows. "She's my girlfriend." He said slowly, not understanding.

"Bro." Marco made a face. "Not to sound like a jerk, because I don't mean we're better than everyone else, but we're supers."

"Yeah?" Aaron asked. "And?"

"And this is our table." Max added. "All of us are somehow in relation to Avengers."

"And Brittany's not." Stephen added.

"So why is she sitting at the Super's table?" Xander asked bluntly. "Only supers sit here and she's not a super."

"So you're saying she's not allowed to sit here?" Aaron's eyes narrowed.

"That's not what we're saying-" JJ tried, but Ben interrupted her.

"Exactly!" Ben grinned, relieved that Aaron understood. "Supers only up here, you know?"

"Brittany's great." Leila added. "But she's not a super."

Aaron narrowed his eyes. "Neither is JJ."

The table went silent at that.

"If Brittany isn't a super and can't be up here, then neither should JJ." He repeated firmly.

"JJ's different." Xander snapped.

Aaron sniffed and crossed his arms. "I don't see how."

A laugh burst out of JJ, and the table turned to her slowly. She shook her head and laughed again.

"That's my cue." JJ smiled and picked up her bag, and Aaron sighed.

"JJ, I didn't mean," He tried, but JJ shook her head. "Nah, it's fine." She shrugged, gesturing to her seat. "Table's full, anyway." She addressed the rest of the table with a forced smile. "See ya guys."

The rest of the table watched Aaron disapprovingly, and he huffed.

"Fine! I'll talk to her." He rolled his eyes, and the table relaxed, conversation slowly resuming.

Brittany never returned to the table that day, but neither did JJ.

Xander watched Aaron suspiciously the rest of lunch, and only Ben seemed mildly perturbed by what had just gone down.

* * *

 **Productive**

"Alright, as much as you're not the worst group of individuals I've ever had the misfortune of treating, you guys HAVE to stop randomly showing up at my house."

Clint, sprawled on JJ's couch, shrugged. "But we were bored. Everyone else is busy."

"And you're always so helpful and happy to see us." Tony smirked.

JJ crossed her arms, glaring heavily at the superheroes that had taken over her living room. She sighed. "The least you could do is knock." She finally relented, and Thor chuckled.

"Right. We'll do that next time." He promised. When JJ narrowed her eyes, he held up his hands.

"Not that there will be a next time." Bruce spoke up.

"But if there is," Steve shrugged. "We'll knock."

JJ rolled her eyes. "I think that's as good as it's going to get." She hopped into her favorite arm chair and shot the group a look. "I've been meaning to talk to you guys about something anyway."

"Really?" Steve tilted his head. "Does this have anything to do with whatever's made Aaron so angry lately?"

"Aaron's mad?" JJ raised a brow. "What in the world does he have to be angry about?" She threw up her hands. "He has everything he's ever wanted."

Steve shrugged. "I don't get it either."

JJ shook her head. "I'm not even getting into that. Although I'm pretty sure he's been infected." Steve's eyebrows furrowed. "But I'm not talking about it!" JJ said again. "I wanted to talk to guys about the future."

The avengers shared a dumb look.

"The…future?" Clint squinted.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"I mean…You guys are alive, and that was a huge adjustment period, but everything's kind of for the most part settled. Do you guys have any…plans?"

"What do you mean?" Thor repeated Bruce's earlier question.

JJ sighed. "So…you're kids and families have accepted you. The cage is something you guys can focus on, but y'all need real lives. You know…hobbies…." JJ raised her eyebrows but the Avengers continued to look at her dumbly, and JJ huffed.

"Jobs." She said bluntly. "I'm telling you guys to get Jobs."

The Avengers recoiled.

"Jobs?" Clint scoffed. "Why would we do that?"

"I don't know!" JJ rolled her eyes. "Because you guys are adults and that's what adults do…they get jobs!"

"But we're the Avengers." Tony argued. JJ groaned.

"But you're still people. You shouldn't get special treatment because of what you've done or who you were, or who you're related to," She shot vehementally, and the Avengers shared a look. "You need to re-earn the respect of the people, and you need to lead productive lives. Get a job, don't get a job, but do something with your time!" She shook her head. "You shouldn't have enough free time that you come to visit the friends of your children as often as you do." JJ snickered. "That's kind of weird."

Steve tilted his head. "Maybe you're right." He said after a moment. "We should get jobs."

"Normal people jobs?" Tony made a sound of disgust. "Gross."

"Might be a nice change." Clint said slowly. "Alright." He clapped his hands. "I'm in. JJ: What job should I get?"

JJ shook her head. "Oh no." She laughed. "I'm not telling you what kind of job to get. Figure it out on your own."

"But what if we don't know?" Tony argued.

"Aren't you, as our therapist, supposed to help us make these life-changing decisions?" Thor pressed.

"Yeah!" Clint agreed. "Isn't that what we pay you for?"

JJ's eyebrows lowered. "You don't pay me." She said flatly. "Now come on." She stood. "Get out of my house."

The Avengers grumbled, but stood and made their way to the front door. JJ rolled her eyes.

"If it helps, just think about what you would've liked to do when you graduated high school, and what you like to do NOW, and go from there." JJ advised. "Just do something that makes you happy."

The Avengers nodded and departed, but Steve paused before he left, shooting JJ a look.

"Whatever's going on with you kids?" Steve said lowly, "Know that we're not just here to burden you with our problems. Two way street here."

JJ smiled. "Thanks Captain, but" She shrugged, "I can handle this."

"If you're sure…" Steve said slowly, and JJ nodded.

"Yeah." She shrugged. "I'm just dealing with some hard truths, that's all."

Steve nodded slowly and shut the door behind him, frowning slightly.

Hard Truths?

That didn't sound good.

* * *

 **9 Days**

Max and Stephen shared a look over Xander's head as Xander angrily sat down, loudly thumping his tray onto the table.

Rhiannon looked up from her homework when Xander tossed his apple angrily back onto his tray after taking a bite, and the apple rolled to her from the force of Xander's throw.

Leila and Ben looked up from where Leila was looking over one of Ben's essay's when Xander broke the metal spork he was using in his anger.

"Alright." Aaron was the first to speak. "You're angry about something." He smirked. "Care to share with the group?"

Xander's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "Funny YOU should ask that." He bit out, voice cold.

"Pardon?" Aaron's eyes narrowed.

"Nine Days." Xander said slowly.

"Nine days of…what?" Ben asked.

Xander straightened and crossed his arms. "It has been nine days since JJ has sat up here with us."

"What?" Max looked shocked. "No!"

"Yes." Xander retorted.

"Well…" Rhiannon furrowed her brow. "She's been busy. Yesterday she had that chess club meeting,"

"And the day before that she was working on a presentation for Chemistry." Leila input.

"Isn't it funny how there's always a reason?" Xander said, voice deceptively light. "Almost like she's purposely coming up with these reasons not to sit up here."

"But why would she do that?" Ben furrowed his brow, and Xander's dark look shot to Aaron.

"I don't know." He said slowly. "Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable sitting up here. Maybe she doesn't feel welcome…not being a super and all."

Aaron scoffed. "Please. That was two weeks ago."

"But It was kind of harsh." Steven made a face. He turned to Xander. "You think she's purposely not sitting up here because of that?"

Xander nodded slowly.

"That's stupid." Aaron shook his head. "That's not it." He said certainly. "She's just busy. Watch;" he shot the table a grin. "She'll be up here today."

Xander narrowed his eyes. "So that's why she's sitting downstairs, then."

Aaron's eyes widened and he turned around, and sure enough,

JJ sat with the Drama team, talking and laughing loudly.

"Well." Marco crossed his arms. "If my best friend totally turned their back on me for a chick, I probably wouldn't sit with them either."

Aaron blustered, and the rest of the table watched him, accusingly.

"Dude." Ben pouted. "You chased JJ away."

"No!" Aaron argued. "No I didn't." He threw his fork down. "I'll talk to her today." He promised. "I'll fix it."

"Mmmmhmm." Xander drawled.

"I will." Aaron crossed his arms. "I promise."

Ben nodded his head slowly. "See that you do." He turned back to his meal.

"First thing." Aaron added.

"Alright then." Leila smiled. "Problem solved."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Xander muttered, and Rhiannon threw his apple back at him.

"Aaron just said he'll take care of it." She chastised. "Calm down."

"MmmHmm." Xander said again.

Aaron rolled his eyes. He'd fix it. He just said he would.

JJ was just being ridiculous. She'd made everyone mad at him.

What was her problem?

* * *

 **Aaron and JJ**

"Hey!" Aaron turned on his brightest smile, and hurried over to where JJ stood at her locker, putting her books away.

"Aaron." She shot him a small smile.

So far, so good.

"So…I just wanted to say that….last week? When I said you weren't a super? I didn't mean it." Aaron smiled charmingly. He said what she wanted to hear…problem fixed right? Hopefully, Brittany was waiting for him.

JJ slowly closed her locker. "You didn't mean it?" She repeated, and Aaron nodded. "Yup!" He upped the wattage of his smile.

JJ furrowed her brows. "So…the table upstairs ISN'T just for supers?"

"No it is." Aaron nodded.

JJ pursed her lips. "So then…I AM a super?" She asked.

Aaron tilted his head. "Well…no."

"So you did mean what you said." JJ argued.

Aaron squinted, not sure what to say to that, and JJ nodded.

"Good talk." She turned to go, and Aaron huffed.

"What's the big deal?" Aaron blurt out, flustered. "You're not a super. That doesn't mean you can't sit up there with us."

JJ shook her head. "It's a supers only table. You guys are supers. I'm not." She shrugged. "Fine. I won't sit up there. No big deal."

Aaron scoffed. "Well…it IS a big deal, because everyone's mad at me."

JJ made a face. "Well…that's not my problem." She shook her head. "Deal with it."

"But…." Aaron frowned. "How?"

JJ laughed. "I don't know!" She turned back to Aaron. "Smile and bat your eyelashes and everyone will fall at your feet like they always have." She hiked her backpack further up on her backpack.

"But it's your fault they're mad at me. Your actions are the problem." Aaron crossed his arms. "So you need to fix it."

JJ's eyes widened. "My actions are a direct result of YOUR words, so stands to reason that it's YOUR words that have them angry. And honestly," JJ huffed. "I'm tired of fixing your problems."

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "Is this because you're jealous?" he guessed.

"Jealous of what?" JJ bit out, voice harsh.

"Jealous that out of all of our friends, you're the only one that's nothing special."

JJ took a deep breath. "I may not be special." She said tightly. "But I'm happy with who I am. Can you say the same?"

Aaron scoffed, but he didn't answer. JJ shook her head.

"See you around, Rogers." She said dryly, turning away.

Aaron stood there, thinking over her words, until Brittany appeared at his side.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Nothing." Aaron snapped himself out of it. "I just talked to JJ."

"Did she blame everything on you?" Brittany asked sympathetically. "Say you're the problem?"

Aaron shot Brittany a look.

After a moment… he nodded. "Yeah. She did."

Brittany shook her head. "She never takes the blame herself. She's just so bitter." Brittany smiled. "Come on baby. Cameron's have a hang out sesh at his place.

"Great." Aaron smiled. "Awesome."

* * *

 **Sif**

"You're going to be so proud of us!" Tony opened the door with a grin, and JJ, wearing running clothes and with her hair in a high pony tail, shot him a frown.

"You don't live here." She accused, and Tony shrugged.

"Thor's in the kitchen." Tony brushed off, pulling JJ into the large house, and JJ grunted.

"He doesn't live here either." She muttered under her breath, and Tony rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, his brother's letting him stay here, fine. Listen, that's not important." Tony pushed JJ into the living room where the Avengers sat, glasses of amber liquid in their hands.

"Here." Steve handed JJ a glass, and she looked down at it in surprise.

"Apple juice." He smirked.

"But it looks the same so you won't feel left out." Clint input.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." She plopped onto the couch. "Why am I going to be so proud of you?" She asked.

"We got jobs." Tony's chest puffed up proudly.

JJ raised her eyebrows. "Really?" She asked. "I'm impressed."

Thor appeared with a smile. "JJ, for once you're not the only female present."

JJ raised a brow, then froze when Thor stepped to the side to reveal the Lady Sif, looking comfortable in human clothing, also holding a glass of amber liquid. Thor smirked when Sif simply shot JJ a meaningful look and raised her glass.

JJ shook her head slowly. "Lady Sif." She said formally, still shaking her head. "What brings you to Midgard?"

Steve and Clint shared a look.

"Midgard?" Clint mouthed, and Steve shrugged.

"I heard The Avengers might have need of my assistance on a case." Sif said smoothly. JJ's eyes widened.

"Sif has access to all records on Asgard, as advisor to the king." Thor explained. "She has agreed to search the files for a host that uses anything similar to the cage."

JJ nodded. "That' would be greatly helpful. Is there anyone available to assist you in that endeavor?" JJ asked smoothly. Sif furrowed her brows, then her eyes widened and she nodded. "An advisor to The Princess specializes in records as well." Sif turned to Thor. "He will be most helpful in assisting as well.

"The Princess?" Bruce asked. "I thought Loki was the king."

Sif tilted her head. "He is."

"So…Loki has a kid?" Clint made a face.

"He does." Sif agreed.

"Whoa." Tony looked surprised.

"Weird." Steve furrowed is brows.

"Well…I'm sure The Princess is AWESOME, but I'd rather like to know what kind of jobs you all are working?" JJ changed the subject quickly.

Thor snickered and moved to the kitchen. Sif and JJ shared a suspicious look, but then they both shrugged.

"Well, starting on Monday, I'll be the substitute History teacher for Mrs. Lachlan." Steve began proudly.

JJ beamed. "That's awesome!" She grinned. "Because you don't just KNOW about history, you LIVED it?" She teased.

Steve made a face. "You're hilarious." He deadpanned, and JJ grinned. "I know."

"And I will ALSO be following a similar path." Clint spoke up. "Nicole just hired me to take over for an ailing ASL teacher at the Middle School."

JJ nodded. "Fitting." She complimented. "Except for the fact that you hate middle schoolers."

Clint shrugged. "the only way to overcome your fears is to face them." He argued, and JJ shrugged.

"Touche." She agreed. "Tony? How's consulting for Shield again going?"

Tony made a face. "Hey!" He pouted. "Who told you?"

JJ smirked. "Sherlock did."

Tony crossed his arms angrily.

"Rude." He complained.

JJ shook her head. "Bruce? What are you up to?"

"Jane got me a job." He admitted. "The same old, same old."

JJ shrugged. "You can't escape what you were born to do." She shrugged. She turned to Thor. "Have you made a decision yet?"

"Unfortunately," Thor admitted, "I've not yet decided on whether I will be staying here or going to assist my brother."

"It's a hard decision." JJ said sympathetically. "You have deep-seated roots in both places, and it's hard to choose one without feeling like you've betrayed the other."

Thor tilted his head. "Exactly." He agreed. "that's exactly it."

"Well." JJ shrugged. "Something will work out. I'm sure of it."

"Hey!" Steve raised his hand.

"What?" JJ asked.

"Aaron was madder than usual the other day." Steve brought up, and JJ groaned.

"What's wrong with him?" Steve finished, and JJ shook her head. "I can't help you with him." She spoke frankly.

"I think it's too late for the kid." Clint said frankly. "You'll just have to start over."

"Like have another kid?" Tony made a face. "No, that's a horrible idea. Don't do that. Just adopt JJ."

"That's an idea!" Steve brightened. "Hey JJ?! Can I adopt you?"

JJ made a face. "You really think my mom would be okay with that?" She smirked, and Steve wilted.

"Oh yeah." He said sadly. "I forgot about that."

JJ shook her head and as the conversation switched over to something else, JJ leaned over so only Sif and Thor, seated to her right, could hear her.

"The changes for you aren't over yet." She admitted to Thor. "But don't think of it as an end." She advised. "It's just a new beginning." She winked at Sif. "A lot of new, bright, beginnings."

Sif rolled her eyes, but Thor shot Sif a look, then looked down seriously at his hammer.

The hammer that…though he hadn't mentioned it to anyone, was getting heavier as each day passed.

A lot of changes WERE in store…but if Thor's many theories were right, he wasn't the only one who had to deal with THESE changes.

* * *

 **WAIT THE HAMMER IS GETTING HARDER FOR THOR TO LIFT?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**

 **Anyway, haha...**

 **~CLC~**


	12. Dinner

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

Xander Frygor Odinson was well aware that if everything went according to plan, February 8th would go down in history as one of the best days of his life.

And yet, as nervous as he was to pop the question, he found he couldn't help but enjoy his time with JJ.

JJ was as freakishly busy as he'd always thought, but somehow she made time for the important things; for family dinners and study sessions and for Marco's performance group and to go to Xander, Max and Stephen's games, to babysit the twins when needed and to tutor Nikki in English and Luka in Math….and to go on dates with him.

9 dates, to be exact; bowling and mini golf and to the beach and to dinner, and to movies and for ice cream, and coffee, and this date; on February 8th, was date number ten.

The most important date of them all.

At least for now.

"So, I'm pretty sure that my all-time favorite was when you brought your truck over and we parked it in the backyard and brought out all those blankets and just watched the stars." JJ smiled softly, turning to pick at her cinnamon roll.

"I agree." Xander grinned. Then he grimaced. "At least until we accidentally fell asleep and I woke up seven hours later to your mom staring me down."

JJ choked. "What?" She blurt out, eyes wide.

Xander grinned. "Oh, I didn't tell you that part?" JJ shook her head wildly.

"It was terrifying." He admitted. "But all your mom did was glare at me for a good minute and then lean over and shake my hand."

"Maybe he was impressed that we'd hung out all night and we hadn't done anything…" JJ wiggled her eyebrows, and Xander flushed.

"It was embarrassing." He shook his head. "Worst impression ever."

"Aw, calm down." JJ sat down her fork to pat Xander's arm consolingly. "I'm pretty sure he approves."

"So…" Xander's brain screeched to a halt as he pulled an orange shoebox out from underneath the table, "If I did something crazy like this, he probably wouldn't kill me?"

JJ raised a brow at the box, and Xander held his breath as she pulled it toward her and took off the lid.

She smiled down at the contents and pulled out the black baseball hat.

"NYU?" She made a face. Then her eyes brightened. "Are you in?" Xander grinned and JJ squealed. "Oh my word Xan!" She leaned over to hug Xander tightly and his smile widened. "This is huge news!"

Xander nodded. "Best news is; they've given me a full scholarship."

JJ looked up from the baseball hat to smile warmly across the table. "Xan…this is huge."

He nodded. "I haven't told anyone else." He admitted. "I wanted you to be the first to know."

JJ's smile widened and she moved to put the hat on her head…then she paused.

"Is there any other significance with this hat?" She asked slowly, and Xander made a face.

"Well…it's yours." He admitted. "But….this is our tenth date."

JJ tried to hide a smile, and Xander's nerves grew. "And…." He hesitated, "its also been almost four months since we've started hanging out, and I really like you, and I was thinking maybe"

"Yes." JJ interrupted. Xander paused.

"Yes?" He repeated.

"If you're going to ask me to be your girlfriend…." JJ grinned. "Then my answer is yes."

Xander's face broke into a large smile, and he nodded. "That's where I was going." He admitted. "So…yes?"

"Yes." JJ said again, smile almost as big as his. "Over the past few months I've realized that when we stop arguing just for the sake of arguing, we actually get along really well, and we don't agree with everything but you're respectful of my opinion and we have a lot of fun and you're so funny and drop dead gorgeous…."

Xander dimpled. "Same." He said enthusiastically. "To all of it."

JJ shook her head. "There's a but."

Xander froze. "What?"

"But…." JJ dragged out, "I don't want to keep this a secret from everyone." Xander nodded immediately.

"I agree." He added. "I want everyone to know that we're together."

JJ nodded. "Good." She smiled. "There is another But though."

"TWO buts?" Xander wilted. The he straightened. "Alright. Hit me."

"It's just…you've met my mom and he approves, but my dad's a totally different story. A very….LONG story."

Xander winced, but he nodded. "Alright." He said again. "Hit me."

"Well…after I tell you this part you might change your mind about us because my dad is very," JJ made a face, "He's very protective and this is a delicate situation because of everything, and,"

"JJ." Xander reached out to grab onto JJ's hand. "I'm about one thousand percent positive that nothing you say is going to make me break up with you, so just…"

"Hit you?" JJ said dryly, and Xander grinned.

"Exactly."

"Alright." JJ took a deep breath. "Here goes."

* * *

"Wow." Xander said after JJ had finished speaking. She winced.

"So?" She asked.

"We definitely have to break up." Xander said after a moment. "You're way cooler than me, and I don't know if I can date someone SO much cooler than me."

"Please." JJ rolled her eyes. "I've always been cooler than you. This changes nothing."

Xander smiled "You're right. This changes nothing."

JJ smiled. Then she grimaced. "You realize what we have to do now?"

Xander raised a brow.

"Now we have to break the news to everyone."

Xander paled. "You're right…I forgot about that."

JJ winced. "It won't be that bad…right?"

"Of course not." Xander reassured unconvincingly.

"It'll be fun."

* * *

 **The Family**

"Xander has a girlfriend."

Thor announced it immediately, face creased into worried lines.

Clint scoffed. "I'm not all that surprised." He admitted.

Thor shot Clint a look.

"Not to be weird, but your son isn't all that unattractive." Clint began. "And he's smart and athletic. No girl can resist that. Not even mine, probably." Clint sat up straight from where he'd been slumped on Steve's couch. "Wait. He's not dating mine, right?"

"Of course not." Thor shook his head. "That's Bruce's son."

Clint whirled on Bruce, who raised his hands in surrender.

"They like each other." He admitted. "But they're not dating as far as I know."

"Which isn't saying much." Steve spoke up. "Like our kids are going to tell us everything."

"True." Tony looked up from where he'd been dinking around on his phone. "Nikki built a robot out of the toaster for fun the other day and didn't tell anyone. It opened the door when Pep was taking a shower and totally flipped her out."

Steve snorted. "Sounds like your kid." He joked. Tony rolled his eyes.

"I know, right? Pepper made me take Nikki out for the day."

"Really?" Clint straightened. "How did that go?"

"Pretty good." He admitted. "We spent most of the day talking about her science project….which she's totally going to ace by the way."

"How is it that the daughters are the ones with the brains while our sons are out being stupid?" Steve muttered.

Thor made a sympathetic face. "You're son still being an idiot?"

Steve huffed. "I literally have no idea what's wrong with him." He groaned. "He has these new friends that he's hanging out with and they're…bullies."

"Everyone's a bully at some point in their high school career." Clint reasoned.

"Xander used to be a big bully." Bruce added. "Ben was telling me about how he went through this phase where he thought he was better than anyone else and he wasn't afraid to say so."

"When was this?" Thor asked, interested.

"Sophomore year." Bruce guessed.

"And what fixed him?" Steve asked. "Because he's not like that now."

"JJ." Bruce grinned. "Apparently she punched him in the face and told him that every time he was rude to somebody she'd punch him again."

Thor snorted. "Really?" He asked, and Bruce nodded.

"According to Bruce it only took two weeks, three split lips and six black eyes for Xander to check himself."

Steve nodded slowly. "So what you're telling me…is JJ needs to start beating up Aaron, and then he'll be fixed."

Bruce thought for a moment, then he smirked. "Pretty much."

"Well tell JJ to get on that then!" Tony patted Steve on the shoulder. "I'm tired of Marco griping about Aaron's bad attitude."

Steve sighed. "I think everyone's tired of it."

"So tell JJ to punch him in the face." Clint shrugged. "Easy."

"I don't know." Thor said slowly. "She might be too busy for that." He moved to the kitchen to take a phone call, and Steve shot the rest of the team a look.

"Does he know something we don't?" He asked slowly.

Clint shrugged. "Who knows?" Then he made a face.

"But actually, he probably does."

* * *

 **Dinner**

"The gang's all together again!" Pepper smiled at Nicole and slid into the only empty chair. "Sorry I'm late."

"No worries." Nicole grinned. "We haven't even ordered yet, so you' re good."

"Hey Aunt Pepper!" Rhiannon leaned over to catch Pepper's attention. "How's the company?"

"The company is good." Pepper grinned. "How's Senior Year?"

"Senior year is AWESOME!" Max leaned over to butt in. "Which, by the way, have you met Brittany?"

A blond haired girl seated across from Max leaned over.

"Hey." She said. "I'm Brittany."

"Hi Brittany," Pepper greeted slowly. "Are you a friend of,"

"She's my girlfriend." Aaron leaned over next.

Pepper's eyes widened slightly. "Oh." She shot Nicole a meaningful look. "It's very nice to meet you, Brittany."

Brittany smiled tightly.

"Okay, no more talking over me please." JJ leaned forward, "I'm trying to convince these punks to join me for a 5K in a few weeks.

"Oh. Sorry." Pepper winked and sat back in her seat, send Jane and Nicole a look. "When did that happen?" She asked lightly.

"Right after we got back from the spa." Nicole shook her head. "She seems nice enough, but,"

"She kind of reminds me of the bullies that picked on me in high school." Jane admitted. "Nice on the outside but mean and hateful on the inside."

"I'm just worried that she's only dating him now because of his growth spurt."

"Is that what we're calling it now-a-days?" Tony snorted.

Steve rolled his eyes. "It's a valid concern." He admitted. "We'll just have to watch and see how the relationship progresses.

"Hey," Tony leaned towards Steve. "Have you asked you know who about doing you know what, to help with the…thing?"

The wives shared a confused look, but Steve, at the head of the table, shook his head. "Not yet."

"Get on that." Tony advised, and Steve rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, right."

"Hey, why didn't Xander bring his new girl?" Nicole asked Jane, and Jane grinned.

"Who says he didn't?" She asked cheekily, and Pepper and Nicole shared a confused look. Then they leaned over to see where Xander sat, engrossed in a conversation with Stephen and Max, who sat opposite him, and Ben who sat beside him. On his other side, chiming in every so often, sat JJ.

The wives shared a look.

"No!" Nicole gasped. "Them?!"

Jane smirked.

Pepper shook her head. "That's crazy!" She argued.

Jane shook her head. "I thought the same thing when I first found out. But if you think about it, it makes sense."

Pepper and Nicole furrowed their eyebrows, deep in thought. After a few minutes, their faces cleared, and they nodded.

"It makes SO much sense now." Nicole admitted. "How did you find out about this?"

"Believe it or not, Thor told me." Jane leaned forward.

"THOR knew?" Nicole shook her head. "Crazy."

"What are you guys even talking about?" Tony butt in. "Thor knows what?"

The women shared a look.

"Nothing." They said together. Tony turned to Steve and shrugged.

"Secrets." He shook his head sadly. "There's no getting away from them."

"Never." Steve agreed. "Though I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

"I'm sure you'll be informed sooner rather than later." Jane promised.

Marco, seated two seats from Jane leaned over to say something, but just then the waiters appeared.

After the table had ordered, conversation resumed, and Marco, instead of turning back towards the women, looked a few chairs over, to where JJ sat, deep in discussion with the twin girls seated across from her.

"If it's okay with your parents, I'm sure I'd be able to do that." JJ nodded slowly. "When is it again?"

"When is what?" Xander shot his little sisters a look. "What do you want from her?"

"We were wondering if she could help with our English project." Becca, the oldest twin by two minutes, explained quickly.

"It's on the book Dante's Inferno." JJ shot a look towards Xander. He made a face.

"And your teacher let you choose that book?"

Jamie shrugged. "Not at first. But then Dad talked to her and she said it was fine."

Rhiannon overheard the conversation from a few seats down and turned to Sherlock. "You convinced the teacher to let the girls do a sixth grade book report on Dante's Inferno?"

Sherlock shrugged. "Why not? It's classic literature."

"We were gonna read that book in my English class," Max spoke up. "But the school board decided against it at last minute, because it wasn't appropriate reading for our age."

Sherlock snorted. "Shall I go and speak to the school board as well?"

"I will be the first to admit I don't know what book you're talking about." Ben smiled brightly. "Does this book have any pictures in it?"

Becca held up a finger and Jamie reached under the table to pull out a thick hardcover book. She handed it over to Ben, who grimaced at the sight of it.

"This book has NO pictures." Ben shook his head.

"It also has many mature themes throughout the entire thing." Rhiannon shook her head. "And MOM said this was ok?"

"Mom said what was okay?" Jane joined the conversation with a bright smile.

"Nothing." Becca, Jamie, and Sherlock answered quickly, all with innocent expressions on their faces.

Jane narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to question them, Jamie jumped up and raised her hand.

"What?" Jane asked slowly.

"Why are Xander and JJ holding hands under the table?" She blurt out, loud enough that it caught the whole tables attention.

Xander and JJ froze, all eyes on them.

Max jumped up and pointed a finger at them. "Hands in the air." He demanded. "Slowly."

After a long look at each other, Xander and JJ raised both hands…JJ's right hand and Xander's left still interlocked.

"What…." Marco stood with a smirk. "Is the meaning of this?"

"Yeah!" Stephen jumped up. "Do you have something to tell us?"

"Yeah!" Leila stood as well. Then her eyes widened. "Wait a second! Is THIS the guy you've been texting all the time?"

"And is this the chick you've been spending all your time with?" Ben crossed his arms.

"I disapprove." Clint spoke up. "Stop it NOW."

JJ rolled her eyes. "You can't tell me what to do." She retorted.

"Does your mother know about this?" Steve shook his head.

JJ huffed. "And if he doesn't?" She tried.

"Boyfriends are bad." Tony spoke up.

"No they are not." Bruce intervened. "JJ, how long has this been going on?"

"What does it matter?" Thor tried to help. "They're dating, so what?"

"Wait." Sif's eyes widened. She whirled towards JJ. "You are dating the son of Thor?" She turned towards Thor, and the two began laughing.

"Okay…" JJ spoke up after a moment. "It's not that funny."

"It's kind of funny." Xander whispered.

"Shh." She whispered back.

"It's not funny." Rhiannon agreed. "It's a shock."

"Not really." Sherlock agreed. "I've seen this coming since Sophomore year."

"You have not." Jane argued.

"This is just weird." Aaron blurted out.

"So weird." Brittany agreed with an eyeroll."

"Could you guys just be quiet for two seconds?" JJ burst out, and everyone went silent. "Sit." She demanded, and everyone sat.

"Xan and I have been dating since November," She admitted. "We didn't say anything to anyone because we didn't want to make a big deal out of this unless we were both serious."

"I asked Jay to be my girlfriend officially about a week ago." Xander picked up. "She said yes. We were waiting for a good time to tell everyone."

"Seems like that time is now." JJ finished. "Now can we please calm down?"

"You're right." Rhiannon nodded. "We'll calm down."

"It's a surprise." Leila admitted. "But the more I think about it the more I like the idea."

"Congrats guys!" Ben grinned. "You guys are dating! That's so cool!"

"I just can't believe you didn't say anything to us sooner." Clint muttered.

The teenagers shot Clint a weird look.

"Why would she tell you?" Marco asked slowly.

"You're the parent of one of her best friends." Ben added. "That's weird.

"Oh yeah." Clint shifted in his seat. "Duh."

JJ snickered. "Alright! Can we eat now?"

The table turned back to it's previous conversations, and JJ and Xander shot each other a warm look.

"Well that went better than I thought it would." Xander admitted lowly. JJ grinned.

"And now it's over. Mission accomplished." JJ turned slightly to face Aaron, who'd nudged her slightly.

"How could you do this?" He whispered harshly.

JJ furrowed her brows. "Do what?" She asked.

"Use Xander like that." Aaron shook his head. "That's low."

"Use..?" JJ looked confused. "You think I'm using him?"

"Of course I do." Aaron scoffed. "And that's horrible." JJ looked at Aaron with narrowed eyes, then she leaned forward.

"I am going to make an excuse to leave the table." She whispered harshly. "And you're going to find a reason to do the same…and we're going to talk about what you said….right now." Aaron opened his mouth, but at JJ's fierce look, shut it slowly. He nodded once. JJ forced a smile on her face and turned back to the rest of the table. After a few moments, her phone went off loudly.

"I'm sorry." She looked down at her phone with a grimace. "I'm doing a group project for English and I just have to check in with my partners. I'll be right back." She pushed out her chair and marched away. After a moment, Aaron stood too.

"I'm part of her group." He admitted in a stilted voice. "I should probably go check in too." He hurried after JJ, exiting through the emergency exit and appearing in a dark alley, where JJ waited, arms crossed.

"What the Hell, Aaron?"

* * *

 **Aaron and JJ part Two**

"What the Hell, Aaron?" JJ snapped. "How dare you tell me that the only reason I'm dating Xan is because I'm using him?!"

"I don't see why you'd be dating him otherwise!" Aaron blurt out. "You've known each other for years and all of a sudden you want to date him? Right when I don't need you anymore, and now you no longer have an excuse to be part of the Supers?"

"Oh my Gods," JJ whirled around in anger. "Can you just forget the whole Supers thing for 30 seconds?!"

"How can I when it's all you think about?" Aaron yelled. "You latched onto me because I was weak and you thought you could exploit that, and now that I don't need you, you panicked and grabbed onto whoever you could so you wouldn't lose your precious prestige."

"Are you kidding me? I'm not just your friend, Aaron," JJ spat. "I'm friends with everyone in that room, and I could care less about whether or not my parents were Avengers or Superheroes or whatever. None of that matters! It's not important!"

"Of course it's important!" Aaron shook his head.

"No, it's really not." JJ shook her head. "You know what's more important than being a super? Being a good friend, and a loyal friend, and caring about other people and being nice, and literally, anything else."

"I get it JJ." Aaron crossed his arms. "For the longest time, Being a Super was the only thing that made me cool. I wasn't strong, or super-smart, or funny, or talented. But it was okay, because I was a Super and I had you. But now, I'm strong, and I have new friends, and a girlfriend, and being a super isn't my everything. But now, you're the only average one in the group, which I know can be scary. But using Xander to keep your place in the Supers, which is the only thing that makes you not average, is just wrong."

"Me?" JJ asked disbelievingly. "Average?" She laughed mockingly. "If only you knew…"

"Knew what?" Aaron asked slowly.

JJ opened her mouth, then she shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you." She finally said. "Because it doesn't matter. I don't need to be the coolest person in the room, because that's not important to me. You think I'm normal? Average? Good." JJ shrugged. "Because there's nothing wrong with that. Instead of being bitter about all the things I'm NOT, I'm going to be proud of my friends and all the things they can do. Aaron, comparison is the thief of joy."

Aaron shrugged at that.

"Not if you're better than everyone."

JJ's eyes widened, and she took a step back. A disbelieving laugh burst out, and she shook her head. "Forget this." She sighed, then looked up squarely at her former best friend. "I'm done with you Aaron. If that's what you think of me, after all these years of standing by your side and being your friend and protecting you when no one else would, if that's the kind of person you think I am, then I don't WANT to be your friend." She rubbed her face wearily.

"I really don't know what's gotten into you." She admitted. "But I find it a betrayal to hear that you'll believe the people who've been bullying you since Kindergarten out of pure jealousy over your best friend of fourteen years. And, also, I refuse to listen to you insult me, and call me a leech. If you're so worried about leeches, I'd be paying more attention to your new friends, who only befriended you after the serum took effect, then to push away your old ones."

JJ raised her hands with a chuckle. "But whatever, that's just me." She held up her phone. "So…I'm gonna go. Have a great rest of your evening."

Aaron crossed his arms as JJ walked away, a frown on his face.

He felt guilty. Why did he feel guilty? He only told JJ what Brittany and her friends have been telling him for weeks.

He shrugged.

JJ would think it over and realize he was right, and she'd get over herself.

And if she didn't? A small voice asked in the back of his head.

Aaron grunted.

If she didn't…then she wasn't really a good friend, was she?

* * *

Aaron pisses me off so bad...but I find a poetic justice in the fact that he isn't a carbon copy of his father, even if he looks like it. The Supers have plenty of issues now on their plate, and the Avengers are still dealing with the Cage, and JJ's stuck in the middle...what IS going to happen next?!

Next Chapter up Sunday...I PROMISE.


	13. Passive Aggressive

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Guys Nite 1**

"You guys are going to love this place." Sam opened the door with a grin, allowing Steve, Bucky and Clint to precede him into the bar. "It's a cop bar, but on Thursday's military get a great discount,"

"So you only drink on Thursdays?" Bucky ribbed, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"I have to pay child support to both my ex-wives, and while I have full custody of Steven, the other three cost me a pretty penny."

"Is that why you started working with Shield?" Steve asked, interested, and Sam shrugged.

"It's one of the reasons." He admitted. He slid into a booth and the other three men did the same, Clint and Bucky on one side and Steve on the other with Sam.

A waitress came by and took their order, and then after a moment, Sam chuckled.

"So?" He asked. "How's life?"

"It's…life." Steve shrugged. "There's really not much going on right now."

"What about your new job?" Bucky asked. "You're teaching History, how's that going?"

Steve grinned. "Really good." He admitted. "I have a knack for teaching, which is a little surprising. And the kids aren't as star-struck as I thought they'd be."

"Maybe for you." Clint snorted. "I teach seventh graders ASL and they have NO chill. Everyday, I get the same questions from different kids!" Clint reached for his beer as it was set down. "You ever shot someone in the eye? Why are you so old? Archery is stupid."

Bucky snickered. "I'm sure it's not THAT bad," he tried, but Clint snorted.

"It is that bad." He pressed. Then he shrugged. "But it is kind of awesome. Kid's aren't too bad."

"And your boss?" Steve joked. "She okay to work with?"

"Nicole is awesome, as you well know." Clint rolled his eyes. "I don't know how two such nice people created such a punk."

Steve groaned. "No…not this again!" He shook his head. "Seriously, why do you bring this up every time we hang out?"

"Because it's hilarious!" Clint laughed. Sam shot him a look.

"It's not that funny…" He tried, but Bucky snickered.

"It's kind of funny." Bucky admitted. "The nicest superhero in the world made a douchebag."

"Aaron is not a douchebag." Steve argued severely. "He's let his growth spurt get to his head, and these new friends of his aren't helping."

"Are they brain washing him?" Clint asked, suddenly serious. "Because teenagers can totally do that."

"One: no they can't." Sam shook his head. "And Two; most teenagers do go through this phase." Sam shrugged. "They have to learn through their own mistakes that their actions have consequences, regardless of who they are. Aaron's just starting this lesson. He might be a douchebag for now, but soon enough he'll remember what's really important in life, and he might have a few apologies to make,"

"Or a lot of apologies," Clint snorted.

Sam shot him a look but continued, "But he'll be all the wiser for it."

Steve smiled gratefully. "You think?"

"Absolutely," Sam smiled, and Steve let out a huge sigh of relief.

"All of that is very likely to happen," Bucky held up his beer, "but at what cost? A lot of the supers group is totally confused by Aaron's current behavior,"

"Although they excuse it and then ignore it." Clint shook his head. "That kid could probably get away with murder, the way they spoil him,"

"And I don't know how he did it, but your kid somehow alienated his best friend and what was his biggest supporter, which isn't good." Bucky concluded.

Steve made a face, then his eyes widened. "You're not…He pissed off JJ?"

"He irritated the future leader of the entire human race, who can't say a bad thing about anyone?" Clint shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it." Bucky shrugged. "I asked her about it yesterday and she just growled, shook her head, and broke a plate."

"Uh oh." Sam shook his head. "Not good. The last person that made her that mad disappeared, and hasn't been seen or heard from since." He confided.

Clint made a face. "She's seventeen." He argued. "Why is it that she seems to hold so much power over everyone?"

"She's a natural leader." Sam shrugged. "People flock to her."

"She's wise." Steve added. "We've turned to her for help ourselves, and she's never steered us wrong."

"And she's been trained for a leadership position most of her life." Bucky added. "She's a force to be reckoned with, and Aaron's turned that power against him. That does not bode well for him."

Steve shook his head. "It's his own fault, whatever happens next. I'm not bailing him out…he'll just have to deal."

"Well said." Clint raised his beer. "You are officially a parent of a teenager." Clint took a large swallow. "Congratulations."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Right, thanks Clint."

Clint burped loudly. "Anytime." He grinned. His grin faltered, and he stared seriously down into his beer. "So...I've talked to Leila, and we've agreed on a day."

Sam narrowed his eyes, slightly lost at the change of subject. "A day for what?" Bucky and Steve set down their beer, worried at Clint's sudden mood change.

Clint took a deep breath. "Leila and I need closure; and I know I've been pretty tight-lipped about..." Clint took a deep breath. "Everything, but speaking of JJ and her great wisdom, we've been doing a lot of talking, and...I'd like to hold a funeral for Tasha." Clint nodded, still focused on the beer in front of him.

Steve, Sam and Bucky shared a look.

"When?" Steve asked softly.

"Three weeks." Clint made a face. "It's not going to be a big deal, Nat wouldn't want that, but..." Clint sighed. "I realize now that I wasn't the only one who lost her, and everyone else needs a chance to mourn too. So...in three weeks, you guys are invited...and I'm going to bury my wife."

Bucky nodded and clapped Clint on the shoulder. "We'll be there." He promised. Clint smiled weakly, and Sam coughed.

"Did you guys see that football game last night?" He laughed. "I think the patriots have a shot at the superbowl!"

Steve scoffed. "What do you mean have a shot? Have you seen any of their games this season? We're a shoo-in!"

Bucky nudged Clint gently in the shoulder, joining in the sports conversation wryly, and Clint's smile turned a bit more genuine.

He had the best friends ever.

* * *

 **Aaron goes Punk**

"So is JJ just never going to sit up here again?" Ben made a face.

"Probably not." Aaron answered tightly. "And good riddance."

Rhiannon shot him a look of shock. "What did you just say?"

"Good on her." Aaron rolled his eyes. "It's senior year, shouldn't we all be branching out and making new friends?" He smiled charmingly. "She's broadening her horizons, and I for one, am going to follow her excellent example." He rolled his eyes and picked up his tray. "Excuse me."

Leila and Rhiannon shared a look.

"Is it just me, or was Aaron kind of a punk right there?" Leila asked slowly.

Rhiannon shook her head. "Maybe he's just having a bad day?" She tried.

"I'm sure that's it." Max joined the table. "His hormones are probably all wacked out from his growth spurt."

"That's it." Ben agreed.

"Or maybe he's just being a punk." Marco tried bluntly.

The table thought for a moment, then shook their heads.

"Nah, that's not it." Ben argued. "It's just a bad day."

"He'll be fine tomorrow." Max added.

Rhiannon made a face and looked at Marco, who just shrugged.

They could only hope, right?

* * *

"In conclusion, JJ and I plan to fight for the equality of everyone," Steven spoke concisely in front of the class, JJ nodding approvingly at his side. "There will be no more special treatment or favoritism based on age or race or gender,"

"Or connections." JJ added, and Aaron snorted loudly.

Steven shot Aaron a shocked look at the blatant disrespect.

Aaron rolled his eyes and stood, his partner, Cameron, standing as well. "Those who use their connections shouldn't be punished, as my deluded opponents are saying," Aaron spoke loftily. "They are simply using all of the advantages at their disposal, and that's intelligence. The way my opponents have lumped this tactic in with discrimination is a petty and dick move."

Steven's eyes widened, and JJ shook her head slowly.

"My opponents are using their own disadvantages to justify adding such a clause to their campaign." Aaron concluded. "And they should be ashamed of themselves."

"Or maybe," JJ bit out harshly. "My opponents are just under the belief that the silver spoon they were born with allows them to treat those who've earned everything they have by hard work with disrespect, and by looking down on them."

"Jealous and Petty." Aaron gestured to JJ with a tight smile. "Exhibit A."

The bell rang at just that moment, and JJ was the first to gather her things, making sure to shove past Aaron on the way to the door. He turned to watch her march off with a wince, rubbing his shoulder.

"Did that actually hurt you?" Cameron asked, surprised. Aaron nodded slowly. "Yeah." He admitted, "It did."

"Weird." Cameron said after a moment. "Hey. At least we won our debate."

"Yeah, by being a jerk." Steven walked over with a frown. "Aaron…what was that?"

Aaron pulled on a charming smile. "Come on Steven, I was just saying what I needed to in order to when the debate. I didn't mean it."

Steven frowned.

"Well." Aaron patted Steven's arm. "See you later." He grinned at Cameron and the two hurried away, and Steven held onto his frown.

What was WRONG with Aaron?

* * *

"I'm pretty sure normal people don't celebrate two week anniversaries." JJ sat on top of the picnic table, her feet resting on the seat, Xander at her side. Xander shook his head.

"Of course they don't!" Xander agreed loudly. "Are you trying to call me a normal person?"

"Of course, not!" JJ nudged him lightly. "I would never insult you like that." Xander sighed in relief.

"Oh good, I thought I was going to have to break up with you." He teased. JJ scoffed.

"Please, you'd never break up with me. You like me too much."

Xander mock gasped. "Who told you my dastardly secret?!" He stole a fry from the tray balanced on JJ's knees, and she swatted him.

"You have no secrets from me." JJ smiled up at her boyfriend, oblivious to their audience.

* * *

"It's so….weird." Max tilted his head. "Thinking about those two in my head, it just doesn't fit. But seeing them in person…"

"It makes so much sense." Rhiannon crossed her arms. "They're actually a super cute couple." She admitted.

"And it doesn't hurt that it's your best friend and your brother." Marco added. Rhiannon grinned.

"Right, of course."

"Should we go interrupt them, or…" Ben narrowed his eyes. "I can't decide if we should leave them to be a couple or interrupt them and tease them mercilessly."

"I vote plan B." Steven raised his hand. "I've never seen Xander so whipped before."

"I vote Plan A." Leila crossed her arms, and shot Steven a look. "They're a new couple, they need our support."

"What are we all looking at?" Aaron joined the group hiding around the corner from where JJ and Xander sat.

"Nothing." Steven said quickly. Aaron frowned.

"Try again." He advised, leaning around the corner to see what everyone was looking at, then leaned back with a grimace. "Gross," He shook his head. "I give it two weeks."

"Way to be negative." Rhiannon crossed her arms. "Aaron…what's wrong with you?"

Aaron smiled brightly. "What do you mean?"

Leila poked Aaron in the chest. "Ever since we got back from christmas break, you've been acting really…weird."

"And when Laylay says weird, what she's really trying to say is that you're being really mean." Ben clarified.

Aaron crossed his arms. "What are you talking about?" He demanded.

"We're talking about the fact that these new friends of yours have rubbed off on you, and you're being rude to a lot of people,"

"But more specifically to JJ." Max finished Marco's sentence.

Aaron's innocent expression morphed into a look of disdain.

Unfortunately, JJ and Xander appeared around the corner at just that moment.

"Are you guys done spying on us?" Xander grinned.

"Because it's a little unsettling, to tell you the truth." JJ added.

Aaron spun to glare at JJ. "What's your problem?" He snapped.

JJ raised a brow. "I have many problems." She shrugged. "Care to elaborate?"

Aaron huffed. "I'm talking about how you're so insecure that you have to make it sound to everyone else like I'm the bad guy!"

Xander growled and moved to take a step forward, but JJ shoved him back and stepped forward herself.

"Aaron…Grant." JJ began slowly. "I am sick and tired of you blaming your bad attitude on me. I'm sick and tired of you blaming EVERYTHING on me! You need to take responsibility for your own actions buddy. Whatever these guys have said to make you mad is probably entirely you're fault, and you don't get to blame it on me. Not anymore." JJ shoved Aaron, hard enough to make him stagger backwards a few steps, and then pointed a finger at him.

"I've got 99 problems, but from now on…you're definitely not one of them." JJ shot a peace sign towards the rest of the group, squeezed Xander's hand, and then marched off.

Xander narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"What was that?" He asked crossly.

Instead of answering, Aaron rolled his eyes and stalked off.

* * *

"It's official guys." Ben shook his head sadly. "Aaron's drunk the Kool-Aid. He's a punk now."

"This is just a phase, right?" Max asked slowly, uneasily. "He's not really going to abandon his best friend for The Punks, right?"

Marco huffed. "At this point…I really don't know."

The group stood silently for a moment, almost mournfully.

"In other news…" Rhiannon smiled at her big brother. "You and JJ are a super cute couple."

Xander dimpled. "Aren't we?" He agreed.

"So cute…it's nauseating." Steven nodded. "Congrats, dude."

"Well, he owes it all to me, really." Marco grinned and wiped imaginary dust off his shoulders.

"You saw this coming?" Leila asked disbelievingly.

"I may have overheard this guy," Marco pointed at Xander, "whining and graciously helped him out where I could."

"He was a bro." Xander admitted, "But it was mostly me."

Rhiannon snorted. "Like I'm going to believe you actually worked for anything that wasn't a sport."

Xander shrugged. "Believe whatever you want, it doesn't matter to me." He grinned. "Because no matter how it happened…I still got the girl."

* * *

 **Guys Nite 2**

"This is my new favorite place." Tony looked around the seedy and grimy bar with a smile.

"This is disgusting." Sherlock made a face.

"I like it." Jane nodded.

"Why?" Sherlock shot his wife a look and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, I just do." She patted his arm. "Well…have fun."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Bruce shot Jane a look, and she shrugged.

"I'd rather be at home than having drinks with the guys." She admitted. "Don't judge me."

"Hey Jane!" John appeared from the side, a beer in his hand, and Jane brightened.

"John!" She greeted warmly. "What are you doing here?"

"Long day at the hospital." John shrugged. "Dean and I thought we'd go get drinks. He smiled at the guys. "Would you like to join us?"

"Sure!" Tony chirped. "Lead the way."

"Follow me." John led the group to a large booth, where Dean sat talking angrily into his cell phone.

"For the last time, I'm retired." He argued. "I don't care if I'm the best, you can't make me." When he caught sight of the large group he snapped his cell phone shut.

"Wow, John." He teased, "I send you for beers and you return with strays."

"Hurtful." Tony grinned, sliding into the booth, "But true. John said you had a difficult day at the hospital?"

Dean made a face. "There was a fight at the local middle school today." He admitted. "Three kids got into this huge fistfight."

"Middle schoolers?" Bruce made a face. "It can't have been that bad, right?"

"Are you kidding me?" John snorted. "We had four broken bones,"

"Two dislocated shoulders," Dean chimed in,

"One black eye, twenty stitches, a sprained ankle, a lot of ripped out hair, and multiple lacerations and bruises." John finished.

"Were these guys MMA fighters?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Worse." Dean shook his head. "They were 12 year old girls."

Bruce snorted. "Kids these days terrify me."

"You can say that again." Sherlock shook his head. "Youths."

"Don't you have 12 year old twins?" Tony asked slowly.

Sherlock nodded. "So I speak from experience."

John chuckled and shook his head, and Bruce raised a finger. "A round of beers for the table." He ordered when the waiter appeared at his side. "Please and thank you."

"Well that's thoughtful." Dean smiled at Bruce. Bruce shrugged.

"I wrote reports all day." He admitted. "It's the least I could do."

"A toast." Tony raised his beer once it had appeared at the table. "To MMA middle school girls and paperwork."

"I'll toast to that." Dean lifted his beer, and the rest of the table followed suit.

"To a good evening." Sherlock added smoothly,

"Surrounded by great people." Bruce included.

"By great Friends," John revised. "However we got to this point in our lives, I'm glad we're all here together."

The men smiled and clinked their glasses, settling into their seats for a good night.

* * *

 **JJ makes New Friends**

"Rhiannon….I've made a decision." Rhiannon looked up from her report to raise a brow in JJ's direction.

"What kind of decision?" She asked. Her eyes widened. "Are you breaking up with my brother?" She hissed, and JJ choked on the popsicle she'd just put in her mouth.

"No!" She shook her head furiously. "We've only been dating for like three weeks!" She chastised.

Rhiannon shrugged. "Okay, I was just checking." She furrowed her brows. "So what kind of decision are we talking about?"

Leila sat up from where she'd been laying on Rhiannon's bed. "Are you applying to NYU?" She asked excitedly. "Are you going to major in the same thing as Xander and end up graduating together and then working together and then get married and have twenty kids and then,"

"No." JJ interrupted flatly. "That's not it either, Lay."

Leila shrugged and grinned. "Alright then, what's this big decision?"

"I want to expand my horizons." JJ nodded smartly.

Rhiannon and Leila shared a look. "Says the girl who was a cheerleader,"

"And is a singer/pianist for The Beat," Leila added.

"And is Student Council Vice President," Rhiannon nodded.

"And is a part of the chess club…AND the debate team." Leila included, then she snapped her fingers and continued, "Who works two jobs, interns as a psychiatrist every now and then, and is a part of the national honor roll."

Rhiannon crossed her arms. "Do you even have TIME to expand your horizons?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "Maybe not, but I'm going to try." JJ hopped onto the bed next to Leila. "Ever since I've moved downstairs for lunch,"

"Which I strongly protest, by the way." Rhi shook her head. "No matter what's wrong with Aaron, you're still extremely welcome up there."

"I'm not sitting up there anymore because of Aaron." JJ argued. Leila crossed her arms and JJ sighed. "At least, not anymore." She smiled. "I've met the nicest people while sitting downstairs. Shona, the student council treasurer? She's super cool, and we've been eating lunch together recently. And I just met this girl Mikayla? She's HILARIOUS….and she's in a band."

"That's really cool and all, but it's senior year. In four months, we're all outta here. Why expand your horizons now?" Leila countered.

JJ sighed. "This is the BEST time to expand our horizons, and for the reason you JUST tried to use against me." JJ jumped up. "Guys…Its senior year. Soon enough we'll all be miles apart; Steven's enlisting, Max is joining the police academy, Ben's got a scholarship for that science place in Tokyo where his mom used to work, Leila's headed to California and Berkeley, Xander's here at NYU, Marco will be at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Rhi, you'll be at Oxford, and Aaron will be doing who knows what anymore, and I'll either be at the University of Washington or working with my dad. Our small little bubble of friends are going to explode and soon enough we'll be scattered. Why not take the time to get to know our fellow seniors before we're all hundreds of miles apart?"

Rhiannon made a face. "You have a point. She admitted. "I guess expanding your horizons isn't a terrible idea."

"Except it means you'll be spending less time with us." Leila pouted. "Right in our time of need."

JJ crossed her arms. "First of all…way to make me feel like a jerk. And second of all… we'll still hang out, I promise!"

Leila made a face. "Pinky promise?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "Pinky promise."

Two short knocks interrupted their conversation and the door swung open. Xander strode in, shooting Rhiannon a look. "Hey Rhi, Mom wants you to help set the- Hey." Xander caught sight of JJ sitting on the bed, and he smiled brightly. "I didn't know you were here."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "On purpose, because if you'd known she were here you would've come to bug us a long time ago."

"True." Xander admitted. He turned to Leila. "Hey, Dad just told me about the memorial service. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Leila smiled slightly. "Not right now, Xander, but thanks."

Xander nodded once, winked at JJ, and shut the door behind him.

"Your brother is nice." Leila sighed.

Rhiannon rolled his eyes. "Only when his girlfriends around." She said plainly.

JJ brightened. "Hey! That's me!"

Rhi, and Lay and JJ shared a look, then all at once burst out laughing.

Guy's night may have been a thing…but Girls night had been a thing first.

* * *

 **Guys Nite 3**

"As honored as I am by this invitation to join you two for Midgardian alcohol, I'd be more honored if I knew what exactly we're supposed to be celebrating." Sif raised an eyebrow at the brothers seated to her right in the dimly-lit bar.

"Well, I'm not so much celebrating as I am commiserating." Loki admitted. "I hate Midgardian politics." He complained darkly.

Thor snorted. "Midgardians do have a knack for making political matters extremely over-complicated." He agreed. "And I, my dear Sif, am celebrating…the end of an era."

Sif narrowed her eyes. "I can no more help you with the matters of politics than I can decipher your brothers melodramatic words." She admitted. "But…I WILL join you in drink."

Thor chuckled. "I simply mean that it's come time to make a decision in how I will be filling my days…and where."

Loki brightened. "We have for the most part mended our relationship, and I understand that you have been on the lookout for a new occupation; so help me solve this problem, and I may just offer you a job that would be…mutually beneficial." Thor finished his beer, gestured for another, and then turned to his brother with a raised eyebrow. "What's the situation?" And as Loki launched into a description of the meeting he'd just held in London, Sif sat back….and watched.

The two brothers; after their initial meeting in Asgard months ago, had done well in both keeping in touch AND mending fences. Were Loki to just introduce Thor to his daughter, all secrets would be revealed and Sif could declare their relationship fully mended.

And yet for some reason Loki had stayed silent about his daughter's whereabouts, and though Sif felt Thor probably already knew, he said nothing as well.

Sif snorted. Men were buffoons. When Asgard welcomed its first female queen, all order would be restored, and war would become obsolete.

Sif tuned back into the conversation to find Loki nodding thoughtfully.

"Alright. Here's the deal. I find my meetings with Midgard tedious and would rather not have to travel back and forth constantly to deal with them myself, but unfortunately Midgard demands I send a liaison of certain….status. As such I've had no one willing, or old enough," Loki rolled his eyes, "to fill the roll."

"You'd like me to act as Liaison between Midgard and Asgard." Thor finished.

Loki nodded. "Exactly!" He agreed. "It would allow to maintain your roots but stay on Midgard, and keep busy."

Thor nodded slowly. "Which is very opportune for myself…seeing as in a few short days I will be relinquishing the hammer."

Loki nodded smartly. "Exactly! It's perfect timing…wait." Loki's face scrunched up in confusion. "I'm sorry…what?"

Sif was equally surprised, and she turned slightly towards Thor. "It's time?" She asked slowly.

Thor nodded with a small smile. "I've known for days now that the hammer has found a new master, and as I've become more accustomed to the idea of releasing it from my service, it has begun to get heavier."

"Do you know who the new heir is?" Loki pressed.

Thor grinned and winked at the two of them. "Not precisely. But,"

"But?" Sif repeated.

Thor grinned. "I have my suspicions."

Sif's eyes narrowed, and she shot Loki a look.

"I have a few of my own." He muttered.

Sif agreed with a nod, and if she were correct in her thinking….

The three of them were all thinking of the same person.

* * *

 **The hammer has chosen a new master! Who is it?! Any guesses?**

 **(hint: IT'S ME! Just kidding, lol.)**

 **~CLC~**


	14. Stepping Down

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **An Important Meeting**

"What's going on Thor?" Steve was the first to move the meeting Thor had requested into serious territory.

"Yeah, bro. Are you okay?" Tony's narrowed eyes observed his friend carefully.

"I am well." Thor smiled slightly at his friends worried expressions. "I do have an announcement to make though, and I am not altogether certain how it will be taken."

"Are you moving?" Bruce asked.

Thor shook his head. "I will be remaining here on Earth as the Midgard-Asgard Liasion."

"So…are you dying?" Clint smirked.

"No…."Tony grinned. "You're pregnant!" Clint and Tony high fived and Steve shot the duo a disgusted look.

"That's not it." Thor rolled his eyes. "Nice try though." He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"With my new position and our group decision to hang up our capes, I have decided that it is time to relinquish Mjolnir."

The Avengers shared a look.

"Wait a second. You're giving up your hammer?" Clint made a face. "Can you even do that?"

Thor scoffed. "Of course I can. The Hammer obeys He whom is MOST worthy. There will always be those who are able to lift the hammer, but only temporarily. Mjolnir requires a full time master engaged in meaningful relation with him; and for the longest time, it has been myself. But Mjolnir has sensed one more worthy than I; and it is my duty to ensure that Mjolnir is with the most suited master, even if that is not myself."

"So…you're retiring the hammer?" Tony made a face. "Well, if that's what you feel, kudos to you, but who gets it next?"

Thor hesitated. "The Hammer is sentient. It knows who it wants, and when the time is right, it will situate itself in a public place, entreating its new owner to come and lift it.

"Like the sword in the stone?" Steve said thoughtfully.

Thor shrugged. "Sure."

"So you call us all together to tell us this surprising, but not all THAT surprising news?" Clint watched Thor closely.

"Yes." Thor nodded. "I wanted you to hear it from me."

"Well, we appreciate that," Steve smiled, "But you made it sound a lot more serious than it really is."

Thor shrugged. "I know that with the return from the cage, that everything is changing and we are becoming busier as we adjust, and I am also aware that our team status is what first brought us together, and we no longer have that forcing us into proximity,"

"But now," Bruce interrupted lightly, "We have much stronger ties that connect us."

"And though our lives are getting insanely busy and these hangouts are harder to have then they were before," Tony added,

"Doesn't mean we're just going to stop being friends." Clint input.

"After all we've been through?" Steve shook his head with a smile. "You're not getting rid of us that easily."

Thor smiled, the stiffness in his shoulders finally relaxing.

After a moment of silence, Bruce shook his head with a wry chuckle.

"Do you know who the new master of Mjolnir is?" Bruce asked.

Thor smirked. "Not with any certainty," He admitted, "but I have my suspicions."

"Ten bucks says it's a super." Tony joked.

"Ten bucks says its at least one of our kids." Clint clarified.

"Ten bucks says you're wrong." Steve smirked, when the rest of his team shot him a surprised look.

"Wrong about what?" Clint asked.

Steve shrugged. "About everything."

The rest of the team grumbled about Steve's cryptic reply, but when the others weren't looking, Thor shot Steve a wink.

Of course, only time would tell who the new Master of Mjolnir was.

But that time was quickly approaching.

* * *

 **Mjolnir on the Front Lawn with the Supers**

"EARTHQUAKE!"

When the Avengers High building randomly shook in the middle of the day, most people stared at the shaking walls with confusion.

In her third period Global Studies class, JJ dove underneath a table and screeched loudly.

When the shaking stopped only a moment later, JJ jumped up quickly and made a face.

"If that had been a real earthquake," She chastised her fellow students. "All of you would be dead."

"IF that had been a real earthquake, I'm sure we would have." Xander shook his head at his girlfriend. "But it wasn't, and you have NO chill."

JJ flicked her hair out of her face. "Those were just my battle-tested reflexes at work."

Xander shook his head ruefully and held out his hand. "If you say so. Now come on, let's go see what the fuss was all about."

JJ sighed and took her boyfriend's hand.

"Fine." She agreed reluctantly. "But only because you're so cute." Xander's dimple made an appearance as he escorted his girlfriend out of the classroom. The rest of the students followed.

The teacher sighed as his students filed out of the room.

"Class isn't over." He said with a tired eye roll that showed that he knew his students hadn't heard. And after a moment of staring at the empty seats, he gave up and left the room as well.

* * *

"Dudes, have you seen what happened to the front lawn?" JJ shot a death glare Steven's way, and the teen immediately raised his hands.

"I didn't do it," He promised. "But it's pretty bad."

"Somebody did something to the lawn?" Rhiannon appeared on her brothers other side. "Are they aware that they will now have to feel JJ's wrath?"

"You have a thing for lawns?" A petite Asian teen shot JJ a weird look.

JJ rolled her eyes. "One; I'm Mexican, of course I do. Two; I work with the landscaping crew so I know how long it takes to make that grass look so spectacular, and Three, apparently someone messed it up so they have a lot of explaining to do. Which: guys, this is Tori. She's super cool."

"Nice to meet you Tori." Rhiannon greeted. "Ignore JJ, she's always been that weird."

JJ rolled her eyes. "Less talking more walking." She chastised. "I must see what they've done to my lawn."

And it was only a few moments later that JJ exited the school and pushed her way through practically the entire student body so she could see the damage.

She got more than she bargained for, once she caught sight of the strange circular markings all through the Avengers front lawn.

She caught the culprit…red handed.

JJ marched forward with a mad glint in her eye.

"Thor!" She hollered loudly. "You have some MAJOR explaining to do."

* * *

Thor winced, pausing mid conversation with the Principal to turn sheepishly towards the angry JJ headed his way.

"I CAN explain," He said slowly.

"Then begin to do so before I get even MORE angry." JJ crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, and Thor smirked.

JJ wasn't angry. She just wanted to make a scene.

Thor would oblige.

"Mjolnir is no longer under my control." He admitted. "He requires a new Master, and will remain in public view until its new, WORTHY," Thor stressed, "Master either calls it to them or lifts it up."

JJ nodded slowly. "So my lawn remains a disaster while a butt-ton of people attempt to lift your old weapon until it's new master shows up?"

Thor nodded helpfully.

"And the hammer can't just give us a name?" JJ tried.

Thor shook his head.

"Are you telling me that any one of us could be the new master?" Xander appeared at JJ's side.

"The new master attends this school." Thor agreed. "We will not know for sure who until Mjolnir is lifted again."

"So it's a student?" Rhiannon joined the conversation.

Thor shrugged. "Maybe."

"Or it's a teacher." Steven guessed.

"Or it's me." Marco added with a grin.

"Or not." Aaron rolled his eyes.

"When did you all get over here?" JJ frowned.

"When you weren't paying attention." Max piped up.

"Excuse me." The Principal interrupted. "I am right in the middle of an important conversation, and all of you," the Principal raised his voice so the large crowd of students surrounding them could hear as well, "SHOULD BE IN CLASS."

When the crowds didn't move, JJ shot the Principal a sharp salute.

"Leave this to me, sir." She said solemnly. With a sharp turn, JJ faced the large crowd… and then ran towards them, flapping her arms and screeching loudly.

To Thor's surprise, the tactic worked, and with eyerolls and shaking heads, the students returned to the building.

Thor shot his son a raised brow. Xander shrugged.

"She hasn't been sleeping well," was his only explanation. He waved his father farewell and then hurried after JJ.

"That girl's a menace." The Principal huffed.

Thor nodded. "All the best ones are." He agreed.

* * *

 **A Mom and his Daughter**

"Hey Mom! Max, Marco and I are going to pull a prank, so I won't be home until really late tonight, is that okay?" JJ hurried towards her kitchen, dropping her backpack off in the living room on the way.

"Oh, sure, why not." Bucky answered with an eyeroll, not turning away from the dishes.

"Thanks Ma." JJ grinned at her biological father as she rounded the corner, smiling at the sight of her dad wearing an apron with soap to his elbows. "Did you hear what happened at school today?"

That was when Bucky turned to shoot his daughter a look.

"Of course you heard about it." JJ grinned. "But what do you THINK about all this?"

"I think…" Bucky grabbed a dish towel to wipe off his hands, "That you should really be deciding what college you want to go to."

JJ made a face. "Mother." She complained. "We both don't even know if college is IN my future,"

"But in case it is," Bucky interrupted, "You need to have picked which one you want. I know you applied to 8, and were accepted into all of them, and that was the hard part. Now you need to line up your choices and pick a hat."

JJ made a face. "Is that some weird sports reference?" She asked.

Bucky shrugged. "Yes. But as the human parental unit I PLEAD that you take my advice." Bucky shot his daughter a serious look.

"Less worrying about the hammer we all know is going to your boyfriend, and more focus on those important decisions, like which college,"

"Or no college?" JJ raised a brow.

Bucky winced. "There's that option too."

"Ok." JJ smiled. "I hear you. And I'll take your advice." She moved away from the kitchen counter she'd leaned against. Then she shot Bucky a smirk.

"But don't tell me NOT to think about my boyfriends….hammer."

Bucky shuddered and threw the dish towel in JJ's direction, and JJ laughed and dodged, shooting her father a wink before hurrying up the stairs.

Bucky sighed.

That girl would be the death of him.

* * *

 **Breakfast and a Show**

When Xander drove into the school parking lot the next morning, He wasn't surprised to find a crowd around his father's old weapon.

"Everyone's going to try and lift that thing." Rhiannon smirked out the window.

"Even you?" Rhiannon snorted.

"Of course I'm gonna try." She grinned. "I have a blood advantage." She nudged her brother. "Though we all know who the real front-runner is."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Baby sister, you're ridiculous."

"What?" Rhiannon jumped out of her brother's car with a grin. "Everyone's thinking it: you are the first-born child of the all-powerful mighty Thor, and you're also the spitting image of him. You're one of the nicest guys I know, and why wouldn't you be the next Master of the hammer?"

"Well…" Xander narrowed his eyes. "Why WOULD I be? I'm not a jerk, sure, but I am the first to admit I can be a jerk. Less now than before JJ, but," Xander shrugged. "I don't really WANT the hammer, anyway. All that power and responsibility? No thanks."

Rhiannon made a face. "Okay, I feel you. But…if not you, then who?"

"And that," Xander said with a slow grin as he approached the crowd. "Is the million dollar question."

* * *

"Cameron Wallace steps up to the plate, rolls up his sleeves, annnnddd….nothing. Nice try Wallace."

Xander shared a look with his sister as he approached the edge of the circle where a group of students had parked themselves in camping chairs.

Holding a megaphone and commenting on the students that ran into the circle to pull at Mjolnir sat JJ, in black skinny jeans cuffed at the ankle and a flowy dark green button-up shirt that was rolled up to the elbows.

Steven and Max sat on either side of her, leaning over every so often to murmur comments into her ear. Leila stood behind JJ's chair, a hand over her eyes as she watched. Ben stood next to her, looking seriously down at his phone.

"What's going on?" Xander asked slowly.

"JJ's commentating the Mjolnir Lift," Max answered, eyes glued to the field. "It's really quite entertaining."

"I'll bet it is." Xander shook his head wryly. "Anybody get close?"

"Not even." Leila snorted. "Though some of the punks tried and failed horribly, so there's that."

Xander leaned over his girlfriends chair. She paused mid-comment to smile brightly at him.

"Hello beautiful." She greeted. "Can I help you with something?"

"You look mighty busy." Xander began seriously. "But I was wondering if you knew of a gorgeous girl who might be free to walk me to my first class?"

JJ grinned. "I'm sure we could find somebody." She promised.

Rhiannon gagged. "So cute it's gross." She explained when they both looked her way.

JJ rolled her eyes as she stood. "I guess I'll just walk you," she said in mock-apology. "Unless you want to go try and lift Mjolnir?" She winked and Xander snorted.

"Not likely." He retorted, holding out his hand. JJ tilted her head and threaded their fingers together.

"Why not?" She asked seriously.

Xander shrugged. "I don't want that responsibility, and I'm hardly cool enough to even try for it."

"Well if you're not cool enough," JJ teased, "Is anybody?"

Xander shot his girlfriend a fond smile. "I can think of a few." JJ rolled her eyes and gently nudged him, and Xander grinned.

"You of all people know I have enough on my plate." She scolded lightly. "I don't really care who the new master is, as long as it isn't me."

She thought hard for a long moment.

"Or Aaron." She added, and Xander couldn't help himself.

He laughed.

* * *

 **A Prank and a Dare**

"JJ, three minutes before the alarm systems come back on. Are we almost done?" Max, all dressed in black and watching JJ's serious expression as she clanked away at the Principal's computer, furtively whispered his warning.

JJ nodded after a moment. "Give me a sec, Max, and then we're good to go."

Max nodded and turned away to send Marco, who waited at the end of the hallway a half thumbs up.

Marco returned the gesture, then continued to scan the hallways.

"Alright," The screen in front of JJ went black, and she jumped up. "Let's go!"

Max shut the door behind JJ and then the three hurried out of the building sighing heavily in relief as the exited the front doors.

"Whoo!" JJ hollered loudly, turning to high five her accomplices. "We did it!"

Marco and Max grinned.

"Do you know what we should do now?" Marco teased, jerking his head towards where the Hammer, nearly two weeks after it first appeared, still sat.

JJ's face turned serious and she shook her head. "No way." She hissed. "I am NOT trying to lift that thing."

"Why not?" Max cajoled. "There's no one here to see us as we abysmally fail, and who knows?" Max paused to flex. "Maybe the new Master IS one of us."

JJ shook her head, but Marco turned and headed determinedly toward the hammer.

"Marco…No!" JJ ordered, but when Marco didn't stop, she groaned and hurried after him.

Marco paused in front of the Hammer and tilted his head.

"It doesn't look that special." He said bluntly.

"Of course it doesn't, its pitch black out here and you can hardly see anything." JJ crossed her arms.

"That's not what I meant JJ, and you know it." Marco rolled his eyes. "This hammer is supposed to be this gleaming, powerful weapon, and its just…."

"Not." Max finished. "It's just a hammer."

"You guys are wrong." JJ joined them. "You see only the surface of Mjolnir, what he IS. You refuse to see his potential…all of the things he could DO, if given half the chance."

"And you see that in the hammer?" Max asked, voice soft. "You see the potential?"

JJ smiled. "I ALWAYS see the potential."

"And that's what makes you different." Marco turned to his friend. "And that's why I think you're the new master."

JJ scoffed. "Wha- Me? No way."

Marco and Max shared a look.

"I'm with Marco on this one." Max admitted. "It totally makes sense; you're the most awesome person I know, and I know everyone. It's gotta be you."

JJ made a first. "Okay fine. I'll try lifting it, but only so that when it stays stuck in the ground, I can tell you two "I told you so."" JJ raised a finger, "And, you guys have to try lifting it first."

Marco huffed, but reached out for the hammer. After a few moments of fruitless tugging, he stood.

"I am NOT the chosen one." He grinned. Then he winked at Max.

Max stepped forward and tried for himself, but just like with Marco, no matter how many times he tugged and pulled, Mjolnir did not budge.

"Alright. Your turn."

JJ sighed, but stepped forward. She tilted her head as she examined the hammer in front of her….then she leaned forward, and her right hand wrapped around the handle.

Immediately, JJ felt a feeling of rightness. Like Mjolnir was supposed to be in her hand, like she was supposed to have him, and JJ was so stunned by these feelings that she didn't even notice that her hand had started to glow the second she'd made contact with Mjolnir…nor that the glow had slowly spread from her hand and up her arm to slowly in case her whole body.

"JJ!" Marco gasped, ripping JJ out of her stupor. The glowing startled JJ so much that she squeaked and jerked away from the hammer.

The glowing stopped once JJ let go.

JJ, Marco, and Max shared a look.

"You don't think…." Marco said slowly, but whatever he was about to say was drowned by the sound of police sirens.

"Run!" Max shrieked, and the three friends scattered.

JJ sprinted the twenty blocks it took to get to her house, stopping for nothing, the adrenaline rush bursting through her veins due less to the sirens she could still here and more to the strange phenomena that had occurred when her hand had met Mjolnir, the thought chasing her simple….

 _What would have happened if she had tried to pull?_

* * *

 **Thor KNOWS…**

Loki raised an eyebrow and looked up from his paperwork when Thor jerked upright.

"Have a nice nap?" Loki quipped. He leaned back in his chair, eyeing his older brother from across the study with a smirk.

"Mjolnir!" Thor gasped.

Loki frowned. "Has the new master lifted it?"

Thor placed a hand on his racing heart, breathing deeply for a few moments.

"No," He said after a moment. "But it was close."

Loki furrowed his brow. "So they grabbed the handle but didn't lift it?" Loki smirked. "I like them already."

Thor snorted. "You would." He muttered. He lifted himself out of the chair he'd been sitting in. "I'm off to bed then."

Loki waved his brother off, turning back to his reports. Then his head jerked up.

"What do you mean I would?" He snapped, but Thor just smirked and continued walking.

* * *

 **Xan and Jay forever!**

 **Jay and Mjolnir forever!**

 **Down with Punk!Aaron!**

 **The drama is just beginning, The cuteness is only sure to grow, Plot will be coming in waves, Tasha's funeral is going to bring all the tears, and Aaron vs. JJ is reaching a head...so hold on to your butts!**

 **~CLC~**


	15. Fisticuffs

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Chosen**

"What's up…Chosen One?" Marco sidled up to JJ, who stood off to the side, watching the Mjolnir hunt continue fruitlessly.

JJ jumped and shot Marco a look. "Don't sneak up on me like that." She admonished.

"Or what?" Marco teased, eyes bright. "You'll smite me with your mighty hammer?"

JJ's mouth pursed and she shook her head.

"Come on, JJ! You're obviously the chosen one! You're the new master!"

"No I'm not, and lower your voice!" JJ hissed. Marco rolled his eyes.

"Why are you acting like this is a bad thing?" Marco pressed. "This makes you by far the coolest person in the entire world!"

"And it causes about fifty thousand problems, IF it's even true." JJ shook her head. "No. I'm not touching that thing again."

"That's what she said." Marco snickered, and JJ smacked him. "Stop it." She ordered, though she let loose a small smile.

"Can it really be a bad thing?" Marco pressed lightly.

JJ shrugged. "Maybe yes, and maybe no, but the odds don't look good and I'd rather not find out." She admitted.

Marco opened his mouth to continue, but a new presence interrupted them.

"And the search for the new master of Mjolnir continues!" Xander wrapped his arms around his girlfriend with a smile watching the younger students try to lift the hammer, and JJ rolled her eyes, shooting Marco a warning glance, who watched them with a raised eyebrow.

"Disgusting." He proclaimed. "Both of you." He turned back to JJ. "Now, as I was saying,"

"NO, Marco." JJ argued. "It was a fluke, and we are never to speak of this again." JJ's eyes narrowed. "Understood?"

"What's never being spoken of again?" Max appeared at Xander's shoulder, face flushed. Marco shot him a meaningful look and Max's eyes widened.

"OHHHHHHHH." He said slowly.

JJ shot him a look and he winced. "I mean…what? I don't know anything…."

Xander shot the three of them a confused smile, then loosened his arms around his girlfriend. "I don't think I want to know." He said slowly.

"You definitely do." Marco confided.

JJ hit him in the arm, and he winced. "It's no big deal." She turned to Xander. "Just these two being idiots."

"So nothing new." Xander grinned when JJ, shoulders previously stiff, relaxed.

"Exactly." She smiled. "We should get to class."

"We're not done talking about this." Marco warned, and JJ made a face.

"Yes we are." She ordered, pulling on Xanders arm as she walked away. She paused, head tilting and eyes widening slightly.

"What?" Max joked. "Can you hear the call?"

"No…" JJ said slowly. "I can hear a douche."

Max, Xander and Marco went silent, straining their ears, and after a moment, Xander grimaced.

"I can hear it too." He admitted.

JJ's eyebrows drew together the longer she listened.

Max and Marco shared a bewildered look; they didn't hear anything.

Suddenly JJ growled and marched forward, and Xander sighed as he watched her go.

"And I thought this was going to be a good day," he said mournfully.

"Who's the douche?" Marco asked.

Xander shot him a look. "Who do you think?" He said wryly, following after his irate girlfriend.

"It's Aaron."

Marco and Max shared a worried frown, and after a moment, followed Xander.

This wasn't going to be good.

* * *

 **Insults**

"And you really think that's a good idea?" Aaron goaded a small freshmen, Cameron, Dylan and Brittany snickering at his side. "You really think she's going to go out with someone like YOU?!"

The freshmen quivered, hands twisting nervously. "I just thought," he began, but Aaron interrupted him with a mocking laugh.

"Someone like you is never going to amount to much." He criticized. "Nothing of value really,"

"Oh forget him," an angry voice interrupted. "He's talking more about himself than he is about YOU." JJ slung an arm around the small freshmen, who looked up at JJ with eyes full of hero-worship. "Let's get you outta here, you're much too cool to hang around THIS trash."

Aaron's arms crossed from across the field, where he stood on one side of the patterned grass, and he smirked at JJ and the freshmen, Mjolnir the invisible line between both sides, glinting ominously in the sunlight.

"Finally found someone of similar rank to play with then, have you?" Aaron taunted, turning his attention to JJ.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Why yes, actually. And he's much better company than you are." She shot Aaron a fake smile and pushed the freshmen to begin walking away.

"I wouldn't spend too much time with her, squirt," Aaron advised loudly. "You don't want to catch what she has."

JJ, despite herself, turned towards Aaron again.

"And what would that be?" She demanded.

Aaron tilted his head as he thought, then he shook his head. "…Nothing." He smirked. "You have nothing to catch, because you are nothing."

JJ's eyes narrowed, and she slowly pushed the freshmen away from her. After a minute nervously glancing between the two, the freshmen ran off.

"What's going on?" Thor's voice was low, and Xander let out a surprised breathe.

"Dad?" He whispered loudly. "What are you doing here?"

"There was a disturbance last night," Thor dismissed, not missing Marco's wince, but deciding not to comment on it yet. "I wanted to see if the hammer had been moved."

"Moved?" Xander furrowed his brows. "Why would,"

"Never mind that," Thor interrupted harshly. "What's going on here?" He inclined his head towards where JJ and Aaron regarded each other from across the field.

"The big blow up between JJ and Aaron that we've all been expecting." Max answered when Xander couldn't think of a way to explain the sight before them.

Thor inclined his head.

"This could be a good thing," He murmured speculatively.

"It's not." Sherlock, Rhiannon with him, joined the group as JJ began to speak. They were to far away to hear, and with unspoken agreement, they moved closer as the rest of the crowd of students smartly began to move away.

"This is a very bad thing." Sherlock added.

"How?" Thor asked, and with a wince, Rhiannon answered.

"This fight has been brewing for weeks." She began. "JJ has been on simmer that whole time, and she's beyond ready to blow."

"You been told about douchebag Xander?" Leila approached insterted herself between Xander and Thor, and when Xander winced, Thor smirked.

"I have." He conceded. "JJ had to resort to the physical to snap Xander out of his superiority complex."

"Well said." Ben nodded approvingly, staring warily out at the field as JJ's hand began to curl into fists. "Well…that's happening here."

"But instead of spanning a period of weeks, this is all going down today." Steven shook his head, clutching his books in front of him like a shield.

"Which means we're going to get more than just an argument," Max began.

"Or a blow up." Marco added.

"And it's definitely going to be more than a punch or two." Leila input.

"What we have here," Xander shook his head with a grimace.

"Is a brawl." Rhiannon finished softly.

"Well." Thor said after a moment.

"That's not good."

"An understatement." Sherlock said dryly.

Thor shook his head. "You don't understand." His eyes widened as he realized the potential disaster that could occur.

"Understand what?"

But Thor didn't have to explain further, as JJ stormed across the field and Mjolnir, handle tilted to the right, swung so that it's handle tilted towards the left, following the direction of JJ's march as if drawn to her.

"Oh." Sherlock said lightly.

"That's NOT good."

And Thor, speechless and nearly frozen in anticipation, could only nod slightly in agreement.

This was beyond not good….

It was very, very bad.

* * *

"You can insult me all you want." JJ said calmly. "I'm not a child, and I can respond appropriately to your pathetic attempts to rile me."

Aaron sniffed. "I'm not the pathetic one."

"Really?" JJ rolled her eyes. "Tell me, Aaron, when your new friends insult others and mock everyone they meet; does it make you feel better about yourself and your inadequecies?"

"What?" Aaron looked genuinely confused. "I'm not inadequate."

JJ laughed. "Are you kidding me? You're a pretty package, Rogers, but you don't really have the intelligence or the heart to back that up. You may look like him, but you're NOTHING like your father, and you never will be. In other words; INADEQUATE."

Aaron gasped in shock, and then his eyes narrowed. "You're hardly one to talk." He retorted, arms crossing. "Tell me; do you think your mom stuck around long enough for you to disappoint her, or do you think she left before you had the chance?"

JJ's fists clenched.

"You shut your whore mouth, Aaron Grant." She spat. "My mother is OFF LIMITS."

"Right, right." Aaron shook his head. "Because her absence is proof that nobody could love you." Aaron laughed mockingly. "Your own mother couldn't love you."

JJ growled and marched across the field, fists clenching as she passed Mjolnir and felt a pull towards the hammer, ignoring it in favor of getting in Rogers face.

"You don't get to talk about how I'm a disappointment to my mother." JJ hissed in Aarons face once she was close enough. "Not when you're such a bitter disappointment to your dad." She sneered. "My mother may have left me; but I'm over that. And if I wasn't…." JJ tilted her head. "There's also your parents."

Aaron's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"I'm your mom's favorite and your dad decided to adopt me." JJ laughed. "Why would I need a mom when your parents like me better than they do you?"

And though JJ was the one known for having a hair trigger, it was Aaron that threw the first punch.

* * *

 **Fight**

Aaron may have had brute strength on his side, but as far as punches go, it didn't do all that much damage.

In fact; it didn't even MOVE JJ.

But it had the crowd gasping in shock, Xander storming forward in rage, and JJ's temper finally breaking through the last threads of her restraint. With a snarl, her hand clenched into a fist and made a course towards the underside of Aaron's chin.

But her fist never made contact.

Instead, pulled forward by the force of her emotions and her proximity, Mjolnir shot up from the ground and into her hand, her fist curling naturally around the hammer as she swung upwards.

She didn't even notice Mjolnir in her hand, so light he was, and Mjolnir's head hit Aaron's chin full force and flung the teen backwards and into a circle of trash cans nearly twenty feet away.

The crowd scattered and Sherlock shot Thor a dry look when Thor was unable to stop a large smile from creeping onto his face.

"What?" Thor shrugged. "Mjolnir's found his master, JJ's accepted the hammer, and I was right."

"Fine, fine, congratulations." Sherlock rolled his eyes. "But none of this is worth celebrating if JJ's first deed as Master of Mjolnir is killing Steve Rogers son."

Thor winced. "Ah, right." He raised an eyebrow. "Get the Principal?"

"Gladly." Sherlock rolled his eyes, then pointed a finger towards the dueling duo. "Stop the minors?"

Thor nodded and sprinted away, and Sherlock shook his head and turned away.

This was more Thor's area of expertise….and Sherlock wanted nothing to do with it.

Aaron moaned, sitting upright to find a very irate JJ marching towards him, swinging Thor's hammer as if it weighed nothing, and he scrambled backwards, reaching for anything that would stop her approach. Hands making contact with cool metal, he gripped it and thrust it in front of himself, just in time.

Mjolnir's hammer hit the metal and split the trash can lid in two, but it wasn't Aaron's face, so he'd take it. JJ stepped back and let the hammer drop to the ground, using both hands to wrench the broken halves of the metal lid from Aaron's hand. He staggered backward, making his retreat and throwing whatever he could find in JJ's way; mainly metal trash cans. JJ smacked them away like they were nothing, and finally finding another lid, he threw it hard, the lid spinning so fast it was nearly a blur: except JJ caught it one handed like it was a Frisbee. Aaron gulped, and took a second to rethink his life decisions.

It was a second too long. Aaron heard a whistling in the air to signify that the hammer was probably headed straight for him, and he ducked.

Thor's eyes widened as he paused in his pursuit to stop the kids from fighting, his former weapon headed straight for him.

He clenched his eyes shut, knowing the impact wouldn't feel pleasant, and braced himself…but nothing happened.

He opened one eye slowly, then stepped back in surprise.

Mjolnir was frozen midair, less than a foot from him. After a second, the hammer dropped harmlessly to the ground, and Thor saw JJ, eyes wide in horror and hand covering her mouth.

"Are you done now?" Thor asked harshly.

JJ nodded her head quickly, but Aaron's eyes narrowed.

"Not yet." He growled, running forward to land one more punch….right on JJ's chest.

JJ collapsed to the ground, wheezing, and Aaron let loose a tight smile.

Thor opened his mouth to yell at Aaron for his punk move; but he was interrupted.

"What the devil is going on here?!"

* * *

 **Aftermath**

JJ knew how to take a punch; she'd been sparring with others since she was six years old. But never before had she been hit so hard…and in her sensitive area.

JJ cupped the right side of her chest as she gasped harshly, still face first on the ground.

Punching her in the boob was a dick move…but she should've expected it from Aaron. At the sound of her irate Principal, she forced herself to rise, fighting back the bile that rose to her throat as she realized the Principal's ire was focused solely on her.

"Justice Jay." Principal Devarre narrowed his eyes. "I should've know this disruption was all your fault."

JJ smiled tightly. "Isn't it always?"

Devarre shook his head. "Rogers. You should find less delinquent friends." He advised.

Aaron bit the inside of his cheek but said nothing.

After a moment, Devarre sighed. "Both of you. My office. NOW. And the rest of you," Devarre raised his voice to address the crowd,

"GET TO CLASS."

* * *

Principal Devarre was known for his favoritism. He catered to the students with high profile parents and could care less about those from average families.

And JJ was a sore spot because she had the respect and all the recognition she could ever want…and she was a nobody. Her parents were nobodies and for some reason, Devarre despised her. Whenever anything went wrong; it was JJ's fault. If a prank occurred or something was broken or stolen, JJ was Devarre's first suspect; whether he had a valid reason or not.

Maybe it had something to do with JJ accidentally informing his ex-wife that he was cheating on her when she was a freshmen. Maybe it had something to do with how JJ accidentally orchestrated a school-wide protest when the teachers wages were cut, resulting in a wage cut for himself. Maybe it was because JJ was everything he hadn't been when he was in high school; funny, smart, outgoing, friendly, popular.

Either way, JJ knew when it came down to her against a super: Devarre needed no other evidence to convict.

She was doomed.

* * *

 **I know I wrote this, so in a way I made this happen, but IT PUTS ME IN A RAGE.**

 **Why does Aaron gotta be so rude? What the poop, Devarre? And THE BOOB?! REALLY?!**

 **On the bright side... JJ & MJOLNIR FOREVER! **

**A LOT is going down, and up till this point, where are the rest of the Supers? Where are the Avengers? SOMEBODY...CALL THE AVENGERS! AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!**

 **~CLC~**


	16. Blame Game

**Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Did you Hear?**

 _"Did you hear what happened?"_

Rhiannon and Leila looked up from where they'd been studying for a test in the library and shot up in surprise.

"What happened?" Leila hissed, a little scared at how pissed Xander looked.

"Aaron hit JJ." He bit out.

Both teens mouths dropped open in shock.

"He did what?" Rhiannon gasped.

"He wouldn't DARE," Leila shook her head. "Are you sure you heard right?"

"I saw it happen." Xander snapped, and Rhiannon and Leila shared a look.

"That makes no sense." Leila admitted.

"Why would he do something like that?" Rhiannon added.

Xander crossed his arms. "Why did everything that just went down happen at all?"

Leila made a face. "Wait…is there more?"

Xander snorted.

"Oh…..there's a LOT more."

* * *

 _"Did you hear what happened?"_

Max slid into a row of lockers, and Ben raised a brow.

"No, I just got here." He said. "What happened?"

"JJ lifted Mjolnir!"

Ben grinned. "Say what?"

Max nodded quickly. "She's totally worthy."

"Huh." Ben thought for a moment. "It totally makes sense. I don't know why I didn't think of it before."

Max shrugged. "It does make sense, doesn't it? But you know what totally DOESN'T make sense?"

"What?" Ben closed his locker and leaned against it, waiting for Max to continue.

Max leaned forward conspiratorially. "WHY she lifted the hammer in the first place!"

Ben tilted his head. "Well?" He said after a moment. "Are you going to tell me?"

Max leaned forward. "First let me warn you…..this is such a good story, you might want to hold on to your butt."

Ben furrowed his brow but nonetheless leaned forward to listen.

* * *

 _"Did you hear what happened?"_

Steven raised a brow. "In regards to what?"

"Well…." Marco raised his eyes to the ceiling in mock-thought. "JJ finally snapped, totally threw Aaron into a bunch of trash cans, and I'm pretty sure now she's getting arrested."

Steven blinked blankly for a moment.

"I'm sorry?" He asked, entirely confused.

Marco grinned. "You heard me."

"JJ's being arrested for assaulting Aaron?" Steven rephrased, and Marco nodded.

"How did this crazy situation come about?" Steven pressed, and Marco took a seat next Steven, ignoring for the moment that he actually wasn't IN Steven's fifth period marketing class.

"Well that's the fun part, but it's kind of complicated, so listen close…"

* * *

 **Thor Deals**

Thor was well aware that the situation was quite dire, and so as he marched down the hallway, he did his best to curb the smile on his face.

"Oh, don't look so thrilled, you blond buffoon, this is actually quite serious." Sherlock shook his head, and Thor winced.

He hadn't been doing a very good job then. "What's the problem?" Thor asked, falling into step with Sherlock. "I thought Principal Devarre was partial to Supers."

Sherlock scoffed. "Yes, exactly, of which Justice is NOT. But of which Aaron most certainly is." Sherlock strode down the empty hallway with a grimace. "Not to mention JJ's 18 and an adult while Aaron is still a minor."

Thor pursed his lips. "So, DEFINITELY not good."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "Now you're getting it."

"So JJ is facing legal trouble, and she could be arrested, or worse…" Thor shuddered, "Expelled."

Sherlock opened his mouth to argue, but simply shook his head. "Something like that." He agreed.

Thor kept in stride with Sherlock, not sure where they were going but too afraid to ask. Then a thought occurred to him.

"As Asgardian royalty I maintain a certain degree of diplomatic immunity," Thor mentioned lightly. "Would my children also be protected by this immunity, were they to act out?"

Sherlock shot Thor a baffled look. "To a certain extent, yes. What the bloody hell does that have to do with-"

"I have an idea." Thor patted Sherlock on the shoulder and turned away. "I have to go get ahold of someone. Keep me updated."

Sherlock squinted as he watched Thor run off.

That had been odd.

But it seemed as if Thor had a plan…so hopefully it worked out.

* * *

 **Consequences**

Aaron's head was pounding and his vision was blurred. His nose had started bleeding at some point, but it had stopped on its own, and was slowly drying on his face. His right hand; the one he'd used to punch JJ in the face with…it was broken.

Aaron shifted slightly in the chair he sat in, waiting in the Principals office for Devarre himself to show up.

He shot a look out of the corner of his eyes towards JJ…his ex best friend….

And secret superhero?

Aaron was thoroughly confused, and he was pretty sure it wasn't just the concussion that made him feel so offput.

He looked back towards JJ, who sat ramrod straight, eyes focused straight ahead and hands folded tightly in her lap.

Her lips were pursed, and though she had a small cut on her right cheek and her long hair was tangled and lay in disarray around her face, she seemed entirely composed.

The pulse at her neck, thrumming at lightning speed gave her away.

"I'm sorry for punching you in the face." Aaron blurt out, and JJ shot him a surprised look. "And for punching you in the boob."

JJ tilted her chin imperiously. "I'm sorry for that awesome hammer smackdown that happened just now."

Aaron's mouth quirked. He'd missed JJ's wit. "I'm sorry about saying all that crap about your mom."

"I'm sorry for saying your dad likes me better." JJ added after a moment.

Aaron huffed. "I wouldn't blame him." He admitted. JJ rolled her eyes, but her shoulders relaxed slightly.

JJ returned to glaring at Devarre's bookshelf, and Aaron fidgeted lightly in his chair.

"How about that Hammer time though?" He joked weakly, and JJ shot him a dry look.

"That was completely unexpected," she said after a moment.

Aaron shrugged. "It kind of makes sense." He thought about it.

JJ snorted. "No it doesn't."

Aaron smiled. "You're the worthiest person I know." He said softly, sincerely.

"That's not what you said last night." JJ retorted, and Aaron's face went carefully blank.

JJ closed her eyes slowly as she realized what she'd done.

"Beautifully executed," Aaron complimented, and JJ shook her head.

The two shared a surprisingly non-hostile look, and Aaron opened his mouth to say- something, what he wasn't sure, but Devarre entered at that moment, and the two turned towards the man who held their fate in his hands. Devarre sat down, shuffled the papers in front of him, and then sighed. When he looked up, he turned to Aaron first, and his grave expression lightened.

"I've warned you about spending too much time with this one." He chastised. Aaron's eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent as Devarre continued. "Her plebian ways have rubbed off on you." Aaron winced at the veiled insult. "Fortunately, I am forgiving, and as this is your first offense, I will let you off with a warning."

Aaron sagged in relief. He slowly straightened as Devarre turned to JJ and his expression darkened.

"You on the other hand, are another matter entirely. I have been more than lenient with you, and you have repeatedly defied me and broken the rules." Devarre shook his head, and JJ watched him, emotionless. "This; attacking a student, is the final straw. I've no choice but to expel you."

JJ nodded as if this is what she'd expected, but Aaron was floored.

"But," Aaron began, but the dark look JJ shot him silenced him immediately.

"And seeing as you're legally an adult and you attacked a minor, I'm required by law to report you to the authorities."

JJ took a deep breath. Aaron's eyes widened. Devarre stood.

"You will stay here until they've arrived to escort you off the premises. You are not to ever return." Devarre's voice was cold, but his eyes were alight; Aaron realized to his horror that Devarre was enjoying this. Devarre waited for JJ to nod stiffly, then turned to Aaron. "Your father is waiting for you in the nurses's office. I'll take you to him."

Aaron stood and followed Devarre out of the office in shock. He turned to shut the door behind him to see JJ lose her mask, and she wilted, head falling into her hands. Aaron winced and closed the door softly.

This was his fault.

He had to fix this.

* * *

 **Steve Freaks**

Steve was rushing towards Aaron the moment he entered the room, wincing at his son's injuries.

"Your son is fine." Devarre announced quickly. "And we've dealt with his attacker most severely."

Steve shot the Principal a look. "Thank you." He shook a delighted Devarre's hand. "You're to be commended. Now, if I may have a moment alone with my son?"

Devarre nodded immediately and removed himself from the room, and the second the door shut, Steve was clutching Aaron's shoulders and staring him deeply in the eye.

Aaron grabbed his father's wrists, and the two spoke at the same time.

"What did you do?"

"Dad I messed up."

Steve and Aaron took a moment to take in each other's words.

"Wait. Who says I started this?" He asked slightly insulted, and Steve rolled his eyes.

"Your behavior the last two weeks kind of speaks for itself." He said dryly, and though Aaron winced, he didn't argue.

His dad was right.

"How did you mess up?" Steve asked concerned, and Aaron rubbed a hand down his face.

"I started the fight." He admitted. "It was my fault, but Devarre only gave me a slap on the wrist!"

"And the person you attacked got a more severe punishment?" Steve guessed.

Aaron nodded his head. "They're getting arrested, and not only is that completely harsh compared to my punishment, but they got expelled too, and they were just defending themselves!"

"Did you tell Devarre this?" Steve asked, and Aaron shook his head.

"He doesn't want to hear it." Aaron admitted wearily. "And now JJ's getting arrested and it's all my fault!"

Steve shook his head, but then he straightened and his eyes widened. "Wait. Did you say JJ?"

Aaron nodded with a grimace. "I punched her in the face, and then she clocked me with Mjolnir."

Steve squinted as he tried to get through everything Aaron just said, then he choked.

"You hit JJ, she hit back with THOR'S hammer, and now she's expelled?"

Aaron nodded, and Steve shot towards the door. "You are totally grounded," He threw over his shoulder, rushing down the hallway, and Aaron, at his father's heels winced. "For all eternity." He added. "Where is JJ right now?"

Aaron skidded to a stop in front of the school's entrance and pointed weakly out the doors.

"What's going on?" Thor stopped beside Steve, shot a glare Aaron's way, and then followed their gazes out the door.

They all paused in shock at the sight of JJ, handcuffed and head held high, being escorted to a police car parked at the curb, four police officers escorting her.

"Oh…" Aaron said slowly.

"Hell…" Thor shook his head.

"No!" Steve bolted out the doors, Thor and Aaron following.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

* * *

 **Devarre is a punk, everyone is only getting a part of the story, and how dare the world do this to my JJ?!**

 **Oh wait...I did this to my JJ. Right.**

 **More people get involved next chapter, and by more people...I mean MORE people! Heheheh.**

 **~CLC~**


	17. Family Matters

**THIS CHAPTER IS INSANELY LONG AND I APOLOGIZE!**

 **OR should I instead say...you're welcome?**

 **Either way, the secrets stop now! Meet JJ in all her awesome glory: parents included!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.**

* * *

 **Let me get this straight…**

 _"So let me get this straight…"_

"Aaron actually hit a girl?" Rhiannon shook her head, though she was packing up her backpack as quickly as she could. "I can't see him doing that."

"I kind of can." Leila admitted. "His behavior has been increasingly mean the last few weeks."

"I DID." Xander reminded. "I saw him hit my girlfriend."

Rhiannon made a face and shouldered her backpack. "Well…she hit him back, right?"

Xander smiled darkly, and Rhiannon nodded. "I'm glad the universe isn't COMPLETELY backwards then."

"Did she get him good?" Leila asked darkly.

Xander nodded once, and Leila smiled.

"Where is she?" Rhiannon tilted her head.

"Talking to the principal." Xander's fists clenched and Rhiannon's eyes widened.

"Uh, Oh."

"Uh oh is right." Leila grabbed her other bag. "We better go find her."

"I second that." Rhiannon nodded, smirking at her twin, who'd turned and was already walking towards the door.

"Eager much?" Leila joked.

"If my girlfriend were currently dealing with an authority figure who hated my guts, I would already be gone too." Rhiannon empathized, and Leila winced.

"Right." She pushed in her chair. "We should probably follow."

Rhiannon smiled tightly, thinking of her best friend and all of the things Devarre could do.

"I second that."

* * *

" _So let me get this straight…"_

"JJ is the new master of Mjolnir." Ben deadpanned.

"Yep." Max answered brightly.

"Which means she's not a super…she's BETTER?"

"Yep!" Max repeated, grin widening.

"She's an Avenger." Ben concluded.

"Oh yeah." Max nodded slowly, and Ben grinned.

"That….is…AWESOME!"

"Right?" Max jumped up and down. "We have the coolest friend ever!"

Ben furrowed his brows. "I feel like copious amounts of teasing are now in order."

"Agreed." Max nodded seriously.

"Just so that she doesn't get a big head." Ben reasoned, and Max smirked.

"Of course!" He added innocently.

"In fact…" Ben thought quickly. "I believe we should begin right now."

"You've never been smarter than you are right now." Max complimented seriously, and then he smiled. "Shall we go and search her out?"

"I think that's a brilliant idea." Ben and Max grinned and then hurried down the hallway in search of a friend to tease.

* * *

" _So let me get this straight…"_

"JJ is currently being arrested for crimes committed against a super?" Steven squinted, and Marco nodded.

"You realize that all of this sounds completely false." Steven raised a brow, and Marco shrugged.

"I know how it sounds." He admitted. "But the entire story is true."

"The situation, I mostly believe." Steve leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "It's the supposed punishment I'm still a little speculative about."

"You don't think JJ would get arrested?" Marco rephrased.

"Not for this." Steven shook his head. "High schoolers fight all the time, and a week's suspension, I get. But arrested? For a fight she neither started nor finished? That's extreme."

"Okay." Marco narrowed his eyes. "I understand your skepticism. That does sound far fetched. But don't you know what day it is?"

Steven tilted his head. "The 23rd of March?" His eyes widened. "It's JJ's birthday."

"Her eighteenth." Marco nodded slowly. "Add in the fact that JJ's an adult, Aaron's a minor, and Devarre hate's JJ's guts. Now what do you have?"

Steven tilted his head and thought the new scenario through. Slowly his eyes widened.

"Now…we have a problem." Steven pushed his chair back and grabbed his backpack, ignoring the teacher who demanded to know what he was doing.

Steven raised a brow at Marco. "Well?" He said impatiently, "Are you going to come help me ensure that justice is served, or are you going to stay here, in my marketing class?"

Marco smiled, stood, and gestured for Steven to lead the way.

Justice for Justice?

Steven was such a politician.

* * *

 **What's going on here?**

" _What's going on here?"_

Steve rushed towards the officers, voice deep and so filled with authority that the police stopped in their tracks.

"Captain." One of the Officers eyes widened. He saluted. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Steve stressed, "What are you doing with JJ?"

"This student assaulted a minor." An older officer, tall and gray-haired with the bluest eyes Steve had ever seen spoke up, then jerked on JJ's arm. "If you'll excuse us," he dismissed coldly, and Thor grabbed the man's arm.

"Do not touch her." He ordered.

The Officer's eyes narrowed, and JJ sighed and pushed the two glowering men away from each other.

"Stop it, Thor." She scolded. "The man is doing is job, and you're impeding. Go away. Take the other two with you." She jerked her head towards Steve and Aaron, who both opened their mouth to protest.

"I don't think so." Thor spit out first. "Not when these men are arresting an innocent."

"What?!" A squawk from the School entrance made JJ grimace, even more so when Sherlock Holmes strode forward, eyes blazing and with students following.

* * *

" _What's going on here?"_

Steve and Thor welcomed Sherlock into their indignation, glad to have reinforcements, and Aaron, when he saw Xander storming forward, slowly inched behind his father.

JJ shook her head. "Look at what you have done." She chastised Thor. His mouth fell open, but JJ was already turning to Sherlock.

"These men are doing their JOB, Sherlock, you are not my keeper, and if you nosy adults don't leave and go away, I will ground ALL OF YOU." JJ's voice rose slowly, until by the end of her mini-tirade, she was yelling.

Sherlock, Thor, and Steve lowered their heads in shame, and Rhiannon and Leila shared a look.

"What's with the adult shaming?" Leila asked bluntly.

JJ turned to her friends with a grimace. "I've attended a few of their therapy sessions, and now they think they can be all in my business." She explained with a shrug, and Leila and Rhiannon nodded slowly.

"Seems legit." Leila sympathized.

"But weird." Rhiannon made a face.

"Babe….I think we have more pressing matters." Xander looked pointedly towards her metal bracelets, and JJ rolled her eyes.

"I'm not under arrest, which is what I would've told these guys if they hadn't totally flipped out. They're going to take my statement, figure out what really went down, and then go from there. It should be fine. Besides," JJ smirked, "I thought you'd like these." She wiggled the arms handcuffed behind her back, the metal jingling, and Xander grinned.

"I'm not that kinky." He admitted.

"Noted." JJ responded thoughtfully.

Sherlock, Steve and Thor all looked vaguely nauseated.

"Disgusting." Aaron muttered, and that's when Xander caught sight of him. With a growl, he leapt forward, and Steve and Sherlock both jumped forward to restrain Xander while Aaron cowered behind his father.

"Calm down," Thor demanded, pushing his eldest back.

"When did you get this bulky?" Sherlock complained, attempting to help.

"The police are standing right here, Xan you idiot! Stop!" Rhiannon shouted.

"Get him!" Leila encouraged. JJ shook her head at Leila.

"What?" She asked reproachfully. "I missed the other fight."

"It wasn't that great." JJ admitted, and Leila grinned.

"That's not what I heard." JJ shrugged and looked to the four officers.

"You gonna stop that?" She asked, and the officers finally intervened.

Of course, that was when the audience grew.

* * *

" _What's going on here?"_

Aaron winced when his mother appeared from the parking lot, eyes wild. Xander immediately stopped trying to get to Aaron, a slow smile appearing on his face. Aunt Nicole was MUCH scarier than him...she could deal with her kid.

Nicole marched right up to her son, and took his face in her eyes. "What happened?" She looked to Steve, eyes blazing.

"He got in a fight." Steve explained simply. "He lost."

"I wouldn't say I lost," Aaron spoke up, wincing when his mother pushed on one of his bruises.

"No." Steve agreed. "You cheated."

Nicole glowered at Steve, and he went silent. She turned back to Aaron.

"Fighting?" She asked, disappointed. "Aaron…you've never done anything like this before. What got into you?"

"I was provoked," Aaron grumbled.

"Bigger question." Nicole was joined by Pepper, Jane, and oddly enough, Clint. Clint pointed to JJ. "What's with the bracelets?"

Nicole whirled around, jaw dropping when she noticed JJ was handcuffed and surrounded by police. She forgot Aaron and his bruises to demand answers from the officers, and JJ grimaced.

"How DARE you handcuff a student and drag them from their school! Where do you think you're taking her? What is it you think she's done? This girl wouldn't hurt a FLY-"

"Ma'am." The Officer who'd saluted Steve interrupted gently. "She assaulted a minor."

Nicole laughed in disbelief.

"It's true." JJ said lowly, and Nicole shook her head.

"That's impossible….." Then She looked to Pepper and Jane, and the three women shared a silent conversation. Nicole went rigid, and as her eyes began to blaze once more, she turned back to her son.

Aaron looked nervously towards his father, but Steve just crossed his arms and maintained his silence.

"Mrs. Rogers," JJ tried, but Nicole hissed and JJ went silent, sending Aaron an apologetic look.

"You…" Nicole began lowly, "fought JJ?" She questioned.

Aaron winced.

Nicole nodded, as if that was all she needed to know. She rounded on the Officers. "I assume you have another set of those shiny handcuffs?" She asked frostily.

"Why?" The older officer narrowed his eyes.

"Because if JJ is being arrested because of a fight…then so is this one." And she pushed Aaron forward.

"Wait…" Aaron raised his hands. "Ma…what?"

"You not only attacked your best friend, using your fists, I might add, but you also allowed her to take all the blame. You may be my son, but right now I am DEEPLY disappointed in you, and if you refuse to take responsibility for your actions, I'll do it for you." She raised her eyebrows at the officer.

"Take him away, officer." The policemen didn't move, and JJ tried to reason with Nicole.

"He didn't hurt me," JJ wiggled her hands. "I'm only going in for questioning, I'm legally an adult, Aaron is still a minor,"

"And he hit you," Thor spoke up, arms crossed.

"In the face." Xander added.

Nicole shook her head at her son, and he winced again.

"That one didn't hurt." JJ snorted. "The one right in the boob, though," JJ raised her eyebrows, and both Steve and Nicole rounded on Aaron,

"You hit her WHERE,"

"That's so DISRESPECTFUL,"

Aaron stepped back, cowed. "I panicked!" He blurt out.

Nicole and Steve continued shouting loudly, and Sherlock took the opportunity to turn to the Officers. "Will you be taking Aaron Rogers in with you as well?" He asked them.

The older Officer scoffed. "Yeah, right." He shook his head. "We're not arresting Rogers son."

Thor raised a brow. "But you'll arrest her?" He joined the conversation.

"Why not?" The Officer shrugged. "She's not related to someone important is she?"

Sherlock hissed and began to berate the officers in front of him, and equally angry, Thor joined in. Pepper and Jane pulled out their phones and dialed quickly, speaking urgently after a few moments.

"We got here as fast as we could!" Max, Ben, Steven and Marco joined Rhiannon, and Leila. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you what's going on," Xander whirled to face his friends. "A GROSS miscarriage of justice is going on,"

And the voices got louder, and JJ closed her eyes and tried to keep her temper.

And Clint, the smart one, took a few steps back. He hit something and turned….and then he grinned.

"Bout time you got here." Clint grinned. "Things are getting crazier by the second."

The man Clint had run into grinned. "I'm right on time then." He stepped forward, raised his voice, and caught the attention of everyone with just a few words.

" _What…."_ A new voice entered the fray, and JJ's eyes slowly closed in exasperation, _**"THE DEVIL**_ _IS GOING ON HERE?"_

It could be worse, JJ encouraged herself. It could be her dad. JJ turned with a raised eyebrow.

"Mother." She said after a moment.

James Buchanan Barnes shot his daughter an unimpressed look, ignoring the shocked faces around him, arms crossed casually, metal arm gleaming in sunlight.

He inclined his head. "JJ."

* * *

 **Mom**

The Winter Soldier hadn't made the history books until the much after the Avengers untimely death.

Many secret organizations heard whisper of his name, but he didn't go public until a few villains, believing themselves with a beautiful opportunity to attack an undefended earth dare show up.

The Winter Soldier, along with Falcon, and a few other new heroes that cropped up, took care of business. Then they disappeared; not to be seen in public again until they were needed.

The Winter Soldier was most famous among the "new avengers", as he was the most shrouded in mystery…none knew his real name, or alias, and Bucky much preferred it that way.

Much as it had been during his time as a villain, the Winter Soldier was a ghost.

Bucky Barnes worked as a reporter for The Arrow, and though his boss and a select few knew about his side job, for the most part Bucky left his metal prosthetic at home and used a less attention grabbing one when working with the public.

But this moment called for the gleaming metal; and Bucky smiled tightly at the officers in front of him.

"You do realize," JJ said sarcastically, "That you've totally just blown every cover you have?"

"My daughter is being escorted away from her high school in handcuffs." Bucky retorted harshly. "I think the situation warrants a reveal."

"I strongly disagree." JJ snapped, and Bucky shrugged.

"Well it's too late now." He said smartly. "Just be happy that I haven't had the chance to get a hold of your father yet."

JJ blanched. "Right. Well…small mercies, I suppose." JJ grimaced and rotated her shoulders. "Can you tell everyone to stand down and let these officers do their job?"

Bucky looked blankly at his only child. "Why would I do that?"

JJ's eyes widened. "Maybe because everyone is being ridiculous and the bottom line is I GOT INTO A FIGHT, and I deserve to be punished for it?!"

"And from what I've overheard, Aaron not only started the fight, but he finished it, and yet you're the only one in handcuffs, and where's the justice in that?"

"Aaron never gets punished." JJ huffed. "He's a super."

"And you're an AVENGER." Thor retorted, voice low.

"Thor says what?" Bucky turned to acknowledge the tall blonde, who observed Bucky with interest.

"Justice, your daughter?" Thor questioned, lightly. At Bucky's nod, he huffed slightly in surprise, then continued. "Mjolnir has chosen your daughter as his new master."

Bucky was silent for a moment. Then he turned to the officers.

"You know who I am?" He asked darkly.

"You're the winter soldier." The older officer, the one in charge, was the one who answered.

Bucky nodded curtly.

"The young woman in your custody is my daughter, if you haven't yet realized that from the conversation. She is an upstanding citizen, from a good family, has no previous record, and has been a legal adult for less than three days."

The supers winced. Bucky noticed. "Surely you knew that?"

"Yes?" Marco answered hesitantly. Bucky looked to his kid.

"They forgot it was my birthday." She shrugged nonchalantly. "But it's okay. Everyone did."

"I didn't." Xander raised a hand smugly.

The other supers glared at him. He shrugged.

"So wait!" Ben started grinning as a thought finally hit him. "JJ!" This guy is your mom?"

"Unfortunately." JJ said dryly.

"Your mom is the Winter Soldier." Rhiannon said flatly.

"Yep." JJ said apologetically. "Which sort of makes me a super."

"It DEFINITELY makes you a super." Leila corrected. She crossed her arms. "Which would've been good information to have so we could've shoved it in Aaron's face, but whatever."

JJ chuckled. "Not mentioning my ex-super-villain-turned-avenger Mom was on purpose. I didn't want to be treated any differently because of who I came from…I wanted to be treated based on who I am."

"Which, while noble, is highly unrealistic." Clint brought up. JJ shot him a glare, and he shrugged. "Sorry kid. But quite obviously, your little strategy isn't working out too well for you."

"What my dad said." Leila agreed.

"I'm sorry, am I the only one who's mad that JJ didn't tell us who her mom was?" Steven interrupted, and the others nodded slowly.

"You all have met my mom before." JJ argued.

"But we didn't know his secret identity." Max jumped in.

Rhiannon made a face. "That's because it's a secret identity. JJ's mom probably told her to keep it a secret, stupid."

"I hate to interrupt," Nicole interrupted smoothly, "But if the Officers have already handcuffed a Super, excuse me," Nicole shot JJ a look, "an AVENGER, then surely adding a Super would be nothing?" She raised an eyebrow.

The Officer took a deep breath, the Avengers, the supers, and the wives all waited for what the police's next step was going to be. "After hearing the full story," The older officer began voice weary, "we have decided that this is not a police matter, and we will release Miss," The Officer raised a brow at Bucky, who rolled his eyes.

"Barnes," He supplied. The Officer nodded, not catching the significance of the last name, of how Barnes, and Rogers were related. The shocked face the younger officer made meant someone understood, but he stayed silent.

"Miss Barnes." The officer repeated. "She is free to go."

"She is most certainly NOT!"

* * *

JJ made eye contact with her mom and made a face. Principal Devarre, she mouthed, and Bucky nodded in understanding.

Devarre strode forward, face beet red, breathing heavily.

"You all should be in class." He reprimanded the students. "Go! Now!" The Supers shared a look, then moved toward the doors. When Devarre passed them, gaze focused on the parents, the Supers shared another and stopped, out of sight of Devarre but still within hearing distance.

No way where they missing THIS.

"Mr. Rogers, as you see," Devarre began, I've contacted the proper authorities. I can assure you I am taking this attack on your son VERY seriously."

"I know you think so." Steve said coldly. Devarre froze, stunned.

Steve crossed his arms. "I understand in fact that it was Aaron who started the fight."

"Irrelevant." Devarre waved a hand, smiling nervously. He knew he was missing something; he just didn't know what. "The attacker is legally an adult."

"Yes." Steve nodded slowly. "By six hours. The attacker, is also a female."

"A notorious troublemaker." Devarre retorted. He shot a glare JJ's way. "She has no respect for authority.

"No, she just has no respect for YOU." Devarre stiffened at the scathing tone, mouth opening to argue.

He froze when the gleaming metal caught his gaze. His eyes moved up a few inches to catch on a set of intense blue eyes.

"And who might you be?" Devarre asked, voice light.

"James Buchanan Barnes." Bucky bit out, every word punctuated with a meaningful pause in between. "SERGEANT Barnes, if you will, of the 1950's Howling Commandos. The original howling commandos." Devarre paled. "I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting you," Bucky continued mockingly. "But my daughter, Justice BARNES," Bucky stressed, and Devarre began to sway, "has a lot to say about you."

Devarre took a few deep breaths. "I am so sorry." He said after a moment. "If I had known…"

"If you had known, then what? You would've never treated her so callously? You shouldn't have in the first place!" Bucky threw up his hands and marched forward to glower at Devarre, who stood a few inches shorter and who looked up at Bucky apprehensively.

"It shouldn't matter who I am, or what I've done, or that JJ is related to me. What should matter is that JJ has gone to this school for four years and during her time here, yes," Bucky shrugged, "She may have gotten into a few scrapes and played a little fast and loose with the rules, but she's a teenager, and none of her friends have an exactly squeaky clean record either. And disregarding that, JJ has been involved in this school from day one. She is a good student and a school leader and both her peers and her teachers don't have one bad word to say about her. My daughter is often foolish but seldom does she let her temper get the best of her, but her punishment is extreme on all counts and your lack of equality and blatant favoritism disgust me. My daughter has done nothing to deserve any of this, and I won't stand for it."

Bucky finally finished his impassioned speech, chest heaving, still glaring down at a stunned into silence Devarre.

A new voice broke the silence.

"Well said."

The crowded courtyard turned towards the newest arrival, and Loki, current ruler of Asgard and Ally of Earth, smiled tightly.

JJ's eyes slowly closed.

"I've said it before, but I'll say it again." She turned to the Officer Scott. "I'll take the jail for 200."

Loki rolled his eyes. "I think it's far too late for that, dearest."

Eyes in the audience widened at the endearment, and JJ grimaced. "I was afraid of that." She raised a brow at Loki.

"Dad."

* * *

 **Dad**

When Bucky had made his presence known, he'd been received with relief. The Supers and their parents knew his face, if not his real name or his secret identity. The Winter Soldier, Howling Commando bit was a surprise, but nothing too shocking.

This? Loki, Ruler of Asgard, dressed in full regalia and claiming commoner, friend-to-all HUMAN JJ as his daughter?!

It was too much.

"Ever wonder why I never much speak about the guy who adopted me, or what he does for a living, or where I'm always going on vacation?" JJ spoke up, voice subdued. "THIS is why."

"I get it." Surprisingly, it was Ben who spoke. Everyone looked at him, and he shrugged, a small smile on his face. He turned to JJ. "You're cool, pretty, smart funny AND nice. Now you're an Avenger AND a Super, AND Loki is your dad?" Ben laughed. "We aren't even fit to be in your presence."

Devarre whimpered.

Ben shot Loki a wide smile. "I'm a big fan." He gushed.

Loki smiled. "I like this one." He told JJ, and she rolled her eyes.

"Of course you do." Loki winked at his daughter, inclined his head in Thor's direction, and raised a brow at Bucky.

"So THIS is the fool that has been disrespecting our child?" Loki's voice went from light to impossibly hard in seconds.

"Oh yeah. Tried to get her arrested."

"Oh?" Loki stepped forward, and nodding, Bucky moved as well.

The supers watched avidly on the front steps of the school, Devarre a few feet in front of them, facing the street, and now Loki, whom he watched approach him, eyes wide with fear.

JJ and the police officers guarding her stood in the center of the sidewalk, Loki blocking their escape and Devarre blocking their path to the school. The Avengers and their spouses stood to one side of the sidewalk, grouped together and watching as avidly as their children did, when Bucky, who stood to the other side of the sidewalk, began to make his way towards his daughter, Loki moving in the same direction.

"I'm guessing he was unaware that he was dealing with the biological daughter of a current Avenger?"

"He just found out." Bucky confirmed.

"So it's highly unlikely that he's aware that the young woman he's blatantly discriminated against is also MY daughter, in the eyes of Midgard as well as on the realm I am ruler of?"

"Nah, that's probably news to him."

"Well I'm sure he's aware that mistreating visiting royalty, and allies of earth, both of whom are protected via immunity and both of which JJ is, is highly illegal."

Bucky grinned, the smile all teeth. "I think he's getting the picture."

Both men shared a grin and looked to their daughter, who shook her head slowly.

"You guys are just… SO embarrassing." She muttered.

Close enough to touch her now, Loki laid a hand on his daughters shoulder.

"Thank you." He said sincerely. He shot a glare at the Officers still hovering around his child, and after a few deep bows, the Police left without further word.

"I'm too old for this crap." The officer in charge muttered loudly as he walked away.

Loki and Bucky turned to the principal.

Devarre opened his mouth, But Loki quirked a brow and Devarre's jaw snapped shut.

"Justice, now would be a good time to get those ridiculous bracelets off."

"What bracelets?" JJ smiled and pulled her hands around to the front of her body, wiggling her uncuffed hands.

Bucky wrapped a hand around JJ's shoulders and pulled her close. He looked to the Avengers and smiled.

"I appreciate you watching out for my kid, but I think drama king is gonna take it from here."

"Yes." Loki inclined his head towards the adults, then turned cold eyes onto Devarre. "Seeing as Spring vacation begins in less than a few hours, I'm sure you won't mind if I remove my daughter now, will you?"

Devarre nodded his head quickly. Then his eyes widened, and he shook his head a few times.

Loki smirked. "Excellent. We'll need the entire vacation to decide whether this…" Loki's lip curled, "school of yours is worthy of educating royalty."

Devarre could find no response to that, and before he could further humiliate himself, he retreated back to the school.

"Wimp." Loki said scornfully to Devarre's back. He and Bucky chuckled.

"So now what, you're royal highness?" Bucky crossed his arms. Loki looked affronted. "Isn't it obvious? It's Justice's week with me anyway, I'll just take her back now."

"Not without me you're not." Bucky interjected. "JJ and I need to have a little discussion about picking fights."

"Yo!" JJ jumped in. "I didn't start it!"

"And you apparently also didn't finish it." Loki shook his head. "For shame."

"Well that's only because I was a little distracted by the…" JJ trailed off. She made a face. "Actually, maybe we should table this discussion until later."

"I second that." Bucky nodded.

"Sorry to interrupt," Steve stepped forward with a smile and held out his hand. "But uh, Loki? It's nice to see that you're doing so well for yourself."

Loki grimaced at Steve's gesture of goodwill, taking it only after Bucky coughed meaningfully.

"Likewise." Loki responded graciously. "I'm slightly relieved that you and your band of merry idiots aren't actually dead."

"He means that in the best way possible." JJ interjected, and Steve grinned.

"I expected nothing less." He assured, his smile fading as he took in JJ's face. "Are you alright?"

JJ shrugged. "Right as rain." Steve looked doubtful, and she smiled. "I promise." A harrumph had her looking back at her friends, and she rolled her eyes.

"I promise." She stressed, moving towards her friends. "And I'm sorry I've been keeping my parentage a secret. It's just…"

"A lot?" Max guessed. JJ shrugged, but didn't deny it.

"We get it, Jay." Leila patted her best friends arm. "Your parents are very intimidating. I'd keep them a secret too, if I were you."

"And it doesn't make you any less awesome." Steven promised.

"DEFINITELY not." Marco stressed. "If anything, it makes you WAY cooler!"

JJ rolled her eyes. "I don't know about that."

"Well one thing I know," Thor joined the group, "Is that today has been very hectic, and JJ's parents require her presence." JJ nodded in agreement and shot her friends a final wave before heading back to where both of her fathers stood, waiting for her and chatting amiably with the other Avengers, Sherlock and Loki speaking quickly to each other. Bucky, as if sensing JJ's attention, shot her a wink.

JJ shook her head.

"Ready to go?" Loki looked down at JJ, and after one last forlorn look at her friends and an unreadable glance in Aaron's direction, JJ nodded.

"Yep." She sighed.

Bucky nudged Loki and raised his eyebrows meaningful. Loki grimaced, but sighed.

"Perhaps your friends might like to come for a visit?" Loki asked slowly.

JJ eyes widened. "Really?" She asked hopefully.

"Hurry up and invite them before I change my mind." Was Loki's only response, and beaming, JJ turned back to her friends.

"Hey!" She yelled to get their attention.

"What?" Xander asked, a wry smile on his face.

JJ wiggled her eyebrows. "Anyone fancy a trip to Asgard for Spring Break?"

The Supers eyes widened, disbelievingly, looking at one another and then back at JJ and her parents. JJ just smiled, Bucky gave the kids and parents a thumbs up, and Loki rolled his eyes…but then nodded, and the supers burst into loud exclamations and laughter. JJ smiled up at her dad.

"That means yes." She explained simply.

Loki huffed, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"That's what I was afraid of." He admitted.

"Oh come on." Bucky slapped Loki's back. "It'll be fun."

Loki looked at Bucky doubtfully.

"If you say so."

* * *

 **ROAD TRIP TO ASGARD!**

 **Well...not Road Trip exactly, but uh, you know what I mean.**

 **...yay!**

 **~CLC~**


	18. Asgard

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **Welcome**

It took the Avengers and their group less than a day to prepare for a trip to Asgard. After a bright light and a sudden whoosh, their large group was no longer in Steve's backyard, but instead in an opulent golden room, the roof high and rounded, a large dark-skinned man wearing golden armor and holding tight to a giant sword.

"Wicked." Ben's eyes were wide in his face, mouth open in shock. The other Supers shared a similar expression. The adult's masked their awe a bit better, but not by much.

"Indeed." A dry voice spoke up, and the group turned to face a tall young man wearing tan breeches, black knee high boots, a dark brown jerkin, and a blue cape clasped with a brooch over his left breast. His dark brown hair was wavy and long, tied back from his face, and his blue eyes assessed the group.

His eyes focused on Thor and he inclined his head. "Lord Thor."

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Bear. You've grown up."

Marco and Stephen shared a look. "Bear?" Marco mouthed with a raised eyebrow.

"I heard that." Bear snapped, shooting the two teens a glare. Marco grimaced, and Stephen smirked.

Bear turned back to Thor. "Are either of these one of yours?"

Thor smirked and shook his head, pushing Xander and Rhiannon forward. He raised a brow towards Luka, who stepped up with his older siblings.

"Bear, Heimdall," Thor shot Heimdall, the gold-armored man a grin, and the man winked back, "Allow me to introduce my children, Xander Frygor, Rhiannon Jenae, and Luka Lock."

Bear pursed his lips at Xander, raised an eyebrow at Rhiannon, and then bowed from the waist to young Luka. Luka smiled, surprised. "What was that for?" He asked his dad. Thor smiled, but it was Bear who answered.

"You are the named after our beloved ruler," Heimdall snorted and Bear shot him a look. "That is a great honor." Luka nodded slowly, head tilted, and Bear shrugged. "We have wasted much time. Follow me."

Thor looked back at the other Avengers, shrugged, and moved to follow the young man. The Supers quickly fell in line behind him, and the other Avengers brought up the rear.

Thor walked along the streets of Asgard, eyes bright, happy to be home, and surprised to find that while Asgard had not changed, he was seeing the realm differently, through the wide eyes of his children.

* * *

Asgard was gleaming gold and tall buildings, sprawling wealth and beautiful architecture. The children took in as much as they could, eyes wide and darting about every which way. The women admired the beauty found in every aspect, Tony nodded in approval at the technological advances found everywhere, cataloging the things he wanted to look into further.

"Your home is beautiful." Sherlock murmured. Thor smiled. "It is, isn't it?"

"I can understand that it must've been a very hard place to leave." Thor chuckled.

"But I daresay you can also understand why I left." Thor wiggled his eyebrows, eyes darting towards his ex-wife, and Sherlock snorted.

"I daresay I can also understand that part." He shoved Thor lightly.

"Dad." Xander inserted himself between the two people. "Where are all the people?"

"He means where is JJ," Luka rephrased, and Xander cuffed his brother on the back of the head.

"Xander." Thor and Sherlock chastised. Xander rolled his eyes.

"I liked it better when you guys weren't friends," He muttered, though he didn't really mean it. Thor and Sherlock shared a smile.

"I can understand why." Sherlock said dryly.

"And to answer your question," Thor spoke up, "as personal guests of the ruler of Asgard, we are going to be introduced by all of Asgard in a formal welcome."

"And what does that mean?" Steve called out from the back.

"Well," Thor smiled as the palace came into view. "You're about to find out."

* * *

The Avengers entered the crowded room, following Bear, who strode down the aisle confidently. The residents of Asgard all stood along the aisle, watching the humans enter with wide eyes and bright grins. The Avengers and their family returned the smiles with awkward smiles of their own. Bear paused a few feet in front of the throne, and bowed deeply, once more from the waist, head held high as he faced the front.

Loki sat upright in his throne, dressed regally, much as he'd been when he'd come for his daughter two days previous, the golden scepter in his hand the only new addition. To the left of his throne stood Lady Sif, whom the Avengers easily recognized, and The Warriors three. To the right of the throne stood Bucky, dressed in clothing similar to what their escort Bear wore, but Bucky's clothing was of much higher quality, and a sword rested on his right hip, his clothing all black and the cape around his shoulders a deep green. The clasp over his right breast was a deep golden, and Bucky's hair was pulled back. He looked serious, hands clasped behind his back, but when he caught the Steve's gaze, he rolled his eyes dramatically. Steve smiled, and then his eyes were drawn, to where everyone else was already looking, to the young woman that stood in between Loki and Bucky, hand resting simply on the ruler of Asgard's shoulder.

* * *

JJ wore the same green as both of her parents, though her clothing was a strapless satin gown that hugged her torso and fell into a full skirt, the hem of the gown brushing the ground. Gold swirling embellishments decorated the top of the bodice, and a gold necklace adorned JJ's neck. JJ's dark brown hair was styled into a half up do, half of her hair pulled back away from her face and the rest left to rest over her shoulders in dark curls. A golden crown was settled on the top of JJ's hair, the crown gleaming but surprisingly simple. It suited JJ perfectly. JJ's face was serious, regal, though when Bear turned to face the Avengers and the Citizens of Asgard, she shot the group a wink.

"Asgardians, allow me to introduce our most prestigious of guest, from the land Midgard. Lord Thor," The crowd, silent up to this point, burst into applause. Bear rolled his eyes and continued, the crowd quieting to hear him. "And his children, Xandor Frygor, Rhiannon Jenae, and Luka Lock." The crowd burst into loud murmurs and craned their heads to catch their first glimpse of the children of Thor. Thor stepped forward and nodded regally. Xander stepped forward when he was called and repeated the actions of his father, smiling slightly. Rhiannon stepped forward and waved. Luka tilted his head imperiously and pursed his lips. Loki raised an eyebrow, then looked to Thor, surprised at his youngest nephews actions. Thor just smiled and shrugged, moving to the side with his children as the rest of the Avengers were introduced.

Steve, Nicole and Aaron were next. Aaron had been pale-faced and quiet since JJ had left with her fathers, and he barely looked JJ's way as his name was called. Loki's face had gone impassive, but the rest of Asgard clapped as politely for him as they did for Tony and his family, and Jane and Sherlock, and John and Max, and Bruce, Dean and Ben, and Sam and Stephen.

The crowd went mysteriously silent when Bear finished introductions with Clint and Leila. The two stepped forward nervously. The silence reigned for a moment, and then the crowd burst into loud applause and cheering, even louder than they'd been with Thor. Bemused, Clint and Leila shared a shrug, then stepped back to join the rest of their large group.

When Bear finished his introductions, he turned and bowed once more to Loki, and then again in JJ's direction. JJ smiled and strode forward, and the room went silent once more.

"On behalf of my father," JJ began, voice loud and filled with authority, a warm smile gracing her features. "The true ruler of Asgard," JJ stressed the word true and then winked at Thor, "He told me to say that," she said conspiratorially, and Thor rolled his eyes. Loki just quirked a brow, and JJ returned to addressing the rest of the room. "We greet our honored guests and offer our home and our kingdom as their own to embrace for the week that you are with us. Anything you desire, we will aim to provide." JJ spread her arms, a wide smile on her face. "Simply put: Welcome to Asgard."

The crowd cheered and clapped, and JJ turned slightly to face her father, raising an eyebrow. Loki sighed, then nodded, and JJ grasped her skirt in her hands and hurried down the steps, smiling brightly at the group she approached. After a moment, Bucky followed. When JJ was close enough, she reached out to grasp Xander and Rhiannons hands, pulling them towards the exit of the giant throneroom. The rest of the Avengers followed, bemused, Bucky slapping Steve and Clint on the shoulders and walking between them, an easy smile on his face.

"Now," JJ threw over her shoulder at her friends and their parents. "It's time for your tour."

* * *

 **Tours**

"This is the only room the old people should care about." JJ clapped her hands imperiously, and two large oak doors opened, seemingly of their own accord, revealing a room with high ceilings, wall to wall bookcases, and books as far as the eye could see.

"The library?" Max crinkled his nose, and his father smacked him on the head.

"More specifically, the records room." JJ pointed towards a doorway mostly hidden by stacks of books. "Which is where Asgard has intel on all forms and races of intelligent life, both friendly and…" JJ shot the Avengers a look, "those not so friendly."

"Might be worth a look-see." Steve said lightly.

"Perhaps later." Loki appeared at his daughter's side, and the Avengers straightened. "For now, we will show you your rooms, and then you all should prepare for the feast."

"Yay feast." Bucky and JJ said together, both their voices monotone. Loki shot them both a dirty look, and the two straightened.

"Youths, with me!" JJ turned to the right, and the teens waved at their parents and then followed. After a moment, Bucky sighed.

"Old timers," He grinned, "I'll show you where you're staying."

* * *

"So, Dad put all the adults on the other side of the palace, so we won't bother them and they can't bug us," JJ informed. "Mom has a wing that's dedicated pretty much specifically to him, and there's plenty of room for everyone there. You guys will be in the rooms in MY wing."

"You have a wing." Max said dumbly.

JJ stopped suddenly, her hands dropping to clutch at her heavy skirts. "Is this weird?"She asked hesitantly. She didn't even wait for the Supers to speak. "OH my god, this is weird! I'm so sorry guys, I just didn't think about it,"

"Jay." Xander simply said her name and JJ fell silent, her hands now gripping her skirts tightly. The Supers shared a look.

"My best friend is a princess." Rhiannon pointed out. "I just found out."

"She wears a crown and beautiful gowns and probably has a pet unicorn," Leila continued,

"She's pretty much the coolest person in the entire universe and she has her own wing, in a palace." Marco added.

"Yes." Aaron deadpanned. "This is weird."

"Ugh!" JJ pushed open a door and strode through. "I'm sorry guys!" She threw herself into a chair in what appeared to be a sitting room. The other Supers took seats as well. "I know this is weird, it's weird for me, and this is my life!"

"It is weird." Xander said after a moment. "But this is a part of who you are. We understand why you kept all of this crazy on the down-low, because it is a lot to deal with. But it's you, and we accept you and all that you are."

"It's easier to accept the less awesome version of you, sure," Marco shrugged. "But this is okay too."

JJ smiled slowly. "Really?"

The group shared a look. Then they smiled back.

"Really."

* * *

"So how are you guys holding up?" Bucky, seated in his own room, smiled at the Avengers.

"This is a lot of surprises, all at once." Steve admitted. "Granted, I knew most of it already, but still."

"It just all makes so much more sense now." Bruce admitted. "Why JJ always acts a little older for her age, her awkwardly high level of manners, her ability to lead and keep the peace,"

"How we all saw her as an equal instead of a kid," Tony added. "It makes sense. But….Loki?"

"That part's weird to me." Clint admitted. "JJ seems like such a nice kid!"

"She's still a nice kid, and she's still just a kid." Bucky explained. "But she's also Asgardian royalty and so she's a little mature for her age. She'll probably be Queen in five years, so the fact that the Avengers are following her lead isn't surprising to me. But you can't use her as a crutch forever." Bucky added warningly.

"The records room is available to you at all times while you're here. I'm glad that JJ helped you through your issues, but she's got issues of her own now. Do you own research, solve your own case, and let her be a kid for just a bit longer."

"What with the hammer added in to everything else, she does have a lot on her plate." Steve admitted. "The records room should get us on the right track. We hear you, mama bear," Steve joked, "We'll back off your kid."

"Thanks." Bucky said dryly. "I appreciate it."

"What's this a bout a hammer?"

Bucky's eyes widened.

Loki entered the room slowly, shooting the group a dark look. "I said,"

"We heard you, brother." Thor said heavily. "We can explain…."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"You see," Steve hesitated,

"A little more happened at the school then we told you," Clint added.

"Something to do with Mjolnir?" Loki guessed.

The group nodded.

Loki's eyes slowly closed. "This is about Mjolnir's new master."

Bucky grimaced.

"Please don't tell me…" Loki pleaded,

"JJ is the new Master of Mjonir." Bucky said slowly. "Sorry, Lok."

Loki shook his head slowly.

* * *

JJ was in the middle of telling her friends about Asgard when a loud roar interrupted them.

"JUSTICE JAY!"

JJ grimaced.

"Someone found out about Mjolnir," Ben guessed.

JJ nodded slowly.

"Time to face the music," She said, standing and smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress.

The Supers rose and assembled around her.

"You are much braver than I." Rhiannon applauded.

JJ clasped Xander's hand tightly. "If I die," She said slowly, "Make sure Xander's next girlfriend is really ugly."

"I promise." Rhiannon said solemnly.

"Okay." JJ nodded. "Now I can do this!"

As the Supers moved towards the door a loud gong interrupted them.

"What does that mean?" Marco asked.

"Is that the sound that always precedes a beheading?" Max ask worridly.

"What?" JJ made a face. "No...just...no, Max." She chuckled. "It means it's time for the feast." She grinned. "It also means I don't have to die yet."

"Food and life?" Xander teased. "Sounds perfect."

"Shut it you." JJ grinned. "Come on. To the feast!

* * *

 **The Feast**

"My God. How is she doing that?" Steve whispered loudly into Bucky's ear, staring incredulously at where JJ sat with the Supers, smiling and talking as if nothing were wrong…as if she couldn't see her father glaring daggers in her direction.

"It's like she can't even feel the lasers that are Loki's eyes right now." Bucky admitted a bit proudly.

"The Princess is unfortunately quite used to having her father's anger focused in her direction." Sif confided. "She is on a lifelong quest to antagonize her father."

"I'm so proud." Clint proceeded to pretend to wipe his eyes. The other Avengers rolled their eyes at Clint's antics. "But no, seriously," Clint straightened. "It's life's Karma. Our kids are the best and worst parts of us, and even though Loki didn't have any biological kids, Karma still got him."

"Sucker." Bruce snickered.

"Well, it looks like she's noticing now," Tony pointed to where JJ had stiffened, eyes narrowing.

"What happened to make her suddenly look like she's about to get burned at the stake?" Nicole added.

"Loki is no longer angry." Sif said after a moment.

Bucky whirled around to catalogue Loki, and he grimaced. "Bad news. Now he's plotting."

"Plotting what?" Sherlock asked slowly.

Bucky made a face and leaned back in his seat. "We're about to find out," He admitted, as Loki stood.

"Warriors of Asgard!" The moment Loki began to speak, all attention was on him, including JJ's narrowed gaze. Loki smirked. "We have, in front of us, a very momentous occasion. My dear brother has just informed me,"

Thor straightened, mouth full of food and eyes widening in surprise. He obviously had no idea what was going on either.

"that one more worthy of the hammer than himself has arisen."

Surprised shocks and whispers burst out at the news. JJ shot Bucky a look across the table, but he just shrugged helplessly.

"He wouldn't." Steve said slowly, eagerly watching the scene unfold.

"It's Loki." Clint deadpanned. "Of course he's going to."

"As Thor relinquishes his hold on The Hammer, may the bravest and the mightiest step forward to prove themselves worthy of Mjolnir." Loki clapped three times, and a whoosing sound alerted the audience that the hammer was coming moments before it crashed into the center of the Great Hall, gleaming and almost shaking in its anticipation to be lifted by the worthiest person in the room.

Of course, both Mjonlnir and the new master was well aware of their ties to the other, but…

Mjolnir was a bit of a drama king.

* * *

 **The Mighty**

"Okay…so who's this guy?"

The crowded great hall had frozen at the sight of Mjolnir…but only for a moment. Then a great cheer and arisen and the people of Asgard had moved to circle the hammer, waiting anxiously for the first warrior to try and lift it.

The first to step forward was a beefy young man with wide shoulders and bright blond hair.

"He's almost twice my size!" Ben whispered loudly, causing JJ to laugh.

"That's Gil. His father's one of the Warriors 3." She confided as the Supers watched the large young man crack his knuckles and then reach for the Hammer.

"So, he's like an Asgardian Super?" Marco inferred, wincing as Gil the Giant lucked out.

"In a way." JJ clapped sympathetically as Gil stepped away, shrugging good-naturally in the face of his defeat.

"So there's an Asgardian Super group?" Max spoke up. "Please tell me you're the president."

"I'm more of the absentee CEO." JJ admitted. "What with school and everything keeping me busy on earth, I'm not here so much."

"But when you are here?" Leila pressed.

"When I'm here, yes," JJ admitted, "I usually fall into that category. Actually," JJ brightened. "Bear? The guy who met up with you at the bridge?"

"The hot guy?" Rhiannon clarified. Xander shot his sister a glare, and Rhiannon shrugged.

"Well, yeah." JJ rolled her eyes. "Him. His dad is also one of the Warriors three. And this chick?" JJ motioned to the young woman currently moving towards the hammer. "This is his sister. She's also a part of the group."

"But apparently not the master of Mjolnir." Ben winced as the woman failed to lift the hammer.

"No, we already know who the master is." Aaron rolled his eyes.

"Yeah!" Max's eyes widened. "We do know!" His face fell. "So then what's with this whole charade?"

"My dad is forcing me to out myself." JJ crossed her arms grumpily. "His revenge for my not having told him about this earlier."

"Your dad is such a child." Xander rolled his eyes.

"You can say that again." JJ and Xander shared a grin.

"Why is everyone looking at us funny?" Ben brought up a few minutes later.

Distracted by the show in front of them, most of the supers had failed to realize that indeed, most of the crowd was now sending thoughtful looks their direction.

"Do they know?" Leila guessed.

"They probably think Xander's the new master." Aaron spoke up. "Because of his blood and all."

"You should go try!" Rhiannon suggested, enthused.

Xander rolled his eyes. "We already know that it's not me." He argued. "Why would I want to humiliate myself?"

"Actually," JJ's eyes narrowed in thought, "Would you go try?" JJ's smile widened. "I have an idea."

Xander shared a look with his girlfriend, and he smiled reluctantly.

"Fine." He acquiesced, rising to move towards the hammer.

JJ smiled and slipped into the crowd as the crowd moved closer, eyes bright in certainty that they were about to witness the new master lift the hammer.

* * *

Xander walked forward, steps sure and chest thrown out towards the hammer, ignoring the murmuring and hoping his girlfriend knew what she was doing. He made a show of rolling up his sleeves, then cracking his knuckles, and as he bent forward and his hand reached out the murmuring behind him grew louder. Xander smiled and moved forward the last few feet so his hand would make contact with the hammers grip, but there was suddenly a whoosing sound and the hammer jerked away from his grip and over his head…as if the real master had called it to them.

Xander straightened and turned around to find JJ…his girlfriend, garbed in warrior clothes, hair pulled back and grin bright…Mjolnir held easily in her raised fist.

The room went deadly silent as everyone waited to hear what the future ruler of Asgard, and apparently the current master of Mjolnir would do next. JJ smirked and then opened her mouth -

"Are you trying to steal my thunder?"

The room went from silent to deafening as the cheers rose. Xander shook his head, smiling as the crowd swarmed JJ, JJ smiling warmly to receive them and shooting Xander a wink.

* * *

"I'm not sure if I've told you this or not," Marco clapped a hand on Xanders shoulder, "but your girlfriend is a Bad-ass."

"You don't need to tell me." Xander admitted readily. "I've known this for years." He nudged Marco. "Try and keep up, why don't you?" Whistling, Xander made his way over to where his Dad was standing, speaking in low tones to Loki and doing his level best not to let the awesomeness that was his girlfriend try and give him a complex.

The whistling was helping.

Mostly.

* * *

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	19. Asgard II

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **Realizations and An Honoring**

"Morning Losers!" JJ, wearing a simple blue gown, her dark hair falling down her back in easy curls, a thin gold tiara placed on top of her head, grinned at her friends as she burst into what everyone had been told was the "breakfast room".

* * *

The breakfast room was a huge room with a tall ceiling and long pillars and a large table in the middle of the room that could easily seat forty people. It was the only furniture in the room, barring the chairs.

The Avengers and their kids shared a smile. JJ may have looked like a princess, but she was still their JJ.

Loki, seated at the head of the table, coughed gently. JJ stopped at the other end of the table and huffed. Her shoulders drooped, then she straightened and her chin lifted imperiously. "What I meant to say was," She took a deep breath. "Good morning esteemed and honored guests from Asgard. I pray the meal is to your satisfaction, and that all of your needs have been met thus far. Have they not been, let it be known immediately, and all of Asgard will rise to meet your need, with all due haste!" JJ raised her fist as she finished her speech, and the supers clapped and cheered. Loki rolled his eyes.

"Acceptable," He spoke over the raised voices. "Now please take a seat so I may continue informing our guests of the schedule."

JJ moved to sit in between Xander and Rhiannon, smiling at both of them before squeezing Xander's hands. She turned to say something to Marco across from her, then she straightened.

"Morning Mom!" She chirped.

Bucky, sitting to Loki's right, rolled his eyes. "Nice to know you remember me. I'm just your flesh and blood."

JJ rolled her eyes. "What's the plan for today Papa?" She smiled at Loki.

"You're day is to proceed as normal." He said sternly. "I'll allow your friends to accompany you, but they must be on your best behavior. You know the rules; this isn't a vacation…"

"Yeah, a princesses job is never done," JJ muttered. But then she brightened. "Hey!" She turned to her friends. "This means you can meet William!"

"William?" Ben repeated. "Whose William?"

JJ winked. "You'll see."

"Justice." JJ turned to Loki. "You're late," He raised an eyebrow, and JJ groaned.

"Right. The thing." She stood and smiled at her friends. "Come on then, A day in the life of…me!" JJ rushed out of the room, her friends quickly following.

* * *

Loki shook his head. "They'll be fine." He informed the parents seated in front of him. "Lady Sif has offered to give the ladies a more in depth tour of the," Loki pursed his lips, "beautiful things, to be found on Asgard, and I have graciously offered to grant the rest of you access to my library." He raised an eyebrow, and soon enough the rest of the Midgardian guests were either touring the city or hunting through files.

"You're kidding me, right? Tony made a face. "This isn't a real…species, is it?" He made a face at the pictures he held in his hand.

"Be Kind, Stark," Thor said, not looking up from the files he flipped through. "Their belief of beauty is most likely different than ours." Tony threw the picture at Steve, who caught it, then grimaced.

"No, seriously though, what is this?" He handed the picture to Bruce, who just shook his head before passing it to Clint.

Clint took one look, then started shaking his head. "No, NO!" He threw the picture to the floor than looked back into his own files. "Gross."

"Hey. Whoa." Steve's eyes widened. "Guys…I found one of the things we fought." He put the file down on the desk so everyone could see it.

"Yep." Tony said after a moment. "I remember that thing. Breathed fire, right?"

"Out both ends." Clint agreed. "I found another one that we fought." He put down the file he'd been reading.

Thor frowned. "Both of these beings are rumored to be docile and non-threats."

"They weren't that way in the pit," Clint argued.

"You think something made them that way?" Bruce asked.

"It makes sense." Sherlock joined them in the library. He shrugged. "The tour wasn't doing it for me," he admitted.

"So our captors wanted to fight." Steve shook his head. "This is more like The Hunger Games than I'm comfortable with."

"but we didn't have an audience." Tony argued. "There were no prizes, no commentary…our stay in the cage wasn't a show."

"It was an experiment."

* * *

The men turned.

JJ leaned against the doorway, eyes wide. She shook her head slowly. "Whoever took you wanted to see how you handled yourselves against threats. They didn't want you to die to the elements, or starvation. That's why they sent you supplies. If you didn't make it in the cage," JJ mused, "It's because you weren't strong enough. You weren't the best."

"But we did survive." Thor pointed out. "We destroyed everything they threw at us."

"And how long had they left you alone?" JJ asked, she moved forward, to the desk, to see what files they'd pulled. "When was the last time they'd put someone else in the cage for you to fight?"

"It had been almost six months." Bruce admitted. "Then the door appeared and we left."

"Maybe they haven't followed you is because they got all the information they needed." Sherlock folded his hands. "It's probable that they never expected humans to survive in the face of countless alien enemies."

"Justice, there you are," Loki appeared in the doorway. "Your guests are looking for her."

JJ's hands fell on her hips. "No they're not, I left them with William. They'll be occupied for hours."

She smiled at the Avengers. "William is my pet dragon," she explained before turning back to her father.

"Nonetheless, a child shouldn't be spending all her time worried about an adult matter that doesn't really concern her at all." He shot the Avengers a look, and Thor raised his hands.

"She found us," He argued, "We didn't ask for her help."

"But you need my help." JJ argued. She turned to Loki. "Their captors aren't sadists, nor are they seeking revenge. They're scientists."

"The cage…it's just one big experiment." JJ repeated what she'd said before.

Loki tilted his head, thinking. His eyebrow raised, and he nodded. "You're on to something," he admitted. "But let it sit for a moment. Go back to your friends." He winked at his daughter.

JJ straightened, then nodded. She hurried away, and Loki turned to Clint.

"Barton? If I may have a word?" Clint leaned back, surprised, but then he shrugged.

"Why not?" He reasoned. He followed Loki out of the room.

* * *

Loki led Clint to an empty corridor. "I understand," he began slowly, "that you lost your wife during your ordeal in the cage."

Clint's breath whooshed out of him. He hadn't been expecting this.

"Yes." He said after a long moment. "Four years in, and something got her."

Loki nodded. "I am so sorry for your loss," he said lowly. "Your wife was a great warrior, and Asgard has heard of her adventures and missions often."

Clint raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Loki smiled. "Not many have bested me," he admitted. "I thought it only fair to lay honor where honor is due, and your wife was one of the best. I made sure Asgard knew of her greatness, and her death was a great shock for all of us." Loki looked away. "I know not what mourning procedures you have gone through on Earth, but all of Asgard would like to honor her with a proper Asgardian funeral, if you will."

Clint thought for a moment. The funeral he'd been planning had been small, just family and friends and teammates.

Loki was talking about something grand, something ceremonial, and honestly? Clint and Leila had done their private mourning. Everyone Clint would've invited to the small affair was here, and Tasha deserved more than a quiet affair. She deserved everyone knowing what she'd accomplished, who she'd been, how amazing she'd been.

Loki was offering him that.

So Clint nodded.

* * *

JJ was sitting in a field with her friends, smiling as she listened to them talk about all the amazing things they'd seen and done today, when the horn sounded.

Ben shuddered. "What is that?" He asked. "It sounds so…sad."

"It's supposed to." JJ turned to where the palace stood, eyebrows furrowed. "That horn signifies a death."

Someone died?" Rhiannon asked.

"Well…yes," JJ nodded. "But not just now. The horn is just the sign that an honoring is about to begin."

"What's an honoring?" Xander asked. He held out a hand and JJ grabbed it, standing slowly.

"An honoring is pretty much a warriors funeral. Except everyone comes out, and people retell the warriors best battles, and their family is recognized, and there are floating lanterns, and it's very ceremonial, and beautiful. It's a big deal to receive an honoring," she admitted.

"So whose honoring is this?"

JJ shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure," She admitted. "No Warriors of ours have been killed."

"So what's going on?" Aaron squinted, eye the castle suspiciously.

"Well." JJ smiled at her friends. "Let's go find out."

* * *

By the time JJ and her friends had arrived at the Great Hall, most of Asgard was already assembled.

JJ stood in the doorway.

Loki stood in the front of the room, Bucky and the avengers standing in a group to the left, and Clint directly to his right.

Clint's face was set, his hands clenched tightly in front of him.

JJ smiled slowly, her eyes bright.

"So whose honoring is this?" Leila asked, staring confused.

"You're moms." JJ turned bright eyes to Leila.

"This is for your mom."

* * *

All of the Avengers spoke at Natasha Romanoff's honoring.

That wasn't a surprise.

What was the surprise, was how many Asgardians spoke of what an inspiration the Midgardian woman had been to them.

Female warriors, who'd found the confidence to be fighters, battles that were won only by moves and strategies inspired by Tasha, many of the stories Asgardians had been told and spoke of that spread hope, and redemption, and honored Tasha in a way that Clint nor Leila had ever expected.

Clint thought he had been alone in his grief. Then he'd come home, to a daughter who barely remembered her mom. Then Clint was reminded of the teammates who'd fought with Tasha for many years.

And now this.

Clint had vowed never to forget his wife. Leila would always remember the woman who gave her life, and the avengers would keep their teammate in their hearts.

But now Clint could rest easy, because even though he knew all of that before, this…this was proof that Natasha Romanoff would never be forgotten.

The rest of the Avengers visit had gone well. Steve and the others had continued to catalogue all the beings they'd seen in the cage using their access to Loki's file, and the Supers had spent a lot of time following JJ around and being constantly surprised.

* * *

"It's so weird." Rhiannon squinted her eyes and used her hand to shadow her face, watching as JJ used a sword to fight three mean twice her size.

"What?" Marco snorted. His arms were crossed and his eyes squinted, but he also seemed unable to look away from the fight before him. "That our loyal, always there for everyone sidekick JJ has a side to her that none of us expected?"

"I knew."

Xander shrugged when everyone turned to glare at him. "She told me, because I asked. Have any of you ever asked where her father lived? Or who he was? Or what he did for a living?"

He nodded when everyone looked away. "We've always been so caught up in our lives, we never thought to ask about hers. And even knowing about all of this," Xander looked at his girlfriend, "definitely does not prepare for the real thing."

"Yeah." Max said sadly. "She's totally bad-ass."

"I just realized…" Ben's eyes widened dramatically, and he turned to his friends, "she really went easy on Aaron!"

"When?" Rhiannon made a confused face.

"You know," Ben prodded, "when he totally antagonized her and tried to fight her."

Aaron turned to Ben, eyebrow raised thoughtfully. "I thought none of you were never going to bring that up," he said thoughtfully.

"Bring what up?" Marco snorted. "You being a jerk for the past few weeks and then fighting your supposed best friend?"

Max shook his head. "JJ's the one you need to talk to about that." He pointed out.

"So you're not mad at me?" Aaron asked.

The group shared a look, but it was Stephen that answered. "Honestly? We're furious. You beat up your best friend, the girl who has had you back since the beginning, and you've been really rude to her. But if JJ won't take it out on you, how can we?"

"Jay's really good at not letting her true feelings show though. She could want to deck him but refuse to do it because she doesn't want to rock the boat. It's her diplomatic side…She'd never cause a rift if she could help it, even if it meant she didn't get revenge." Xander pointed out, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah." Leila pursed her lips. "But this isn't between us. This is JJ and Aaron's fight, and I for one, am going to let them deal with it. If JJ doesn't want to start a war, that's fine. You're lucky on that end."

"What Leila said." Marco shook his head, then shot Aaron a warning look. "So don't rock the boat."

Aaron made a face, but fell silent.

And the rest of the group brightened as JJ ran towards them.

"Training is done, and you guys are set to leave tonight." JJ beamed at her friends. "Whatever should we do with our last few hours?"

JJ's friends smiled at each other.

"William!" They chorused together and JJ laughed.

"Yeah," she said dryly. "I knew you'd like the dragon."

* * *

 **Aaron and Xander**

The conversation had concluded, but apparently, Aaron hadn't let it go, something that Xander was quickly realizing as he opened his bedroom window with a glare.

"First of all, really?" Xander drawled. "Throwing rocks at my window? Specifically, at," Xander looked at his phone, "three am?"

Aaron shrugged and shoved his pockets into the dark gray hoodie he wore, the hood up obscuring his face.

"I need to talk." He muttered.

"You're kidding me, right?" Xander shook his head. "In what world would I want to listen to you? After the absolute dick you've been?"

Aaron shrugged. "It's about JJ." He said sullenly.

Xander rested his forearms against his windowsill and observed the son of Steve Rogers.

* * *

It was still odd to Xander that little Aaron was now an inch taller than him and nearly as broad, when for so long he'd been scrawny and blue-eyed, with his floppy blonde hair.

He'd been like a puppy, and then he'd had his growth spurt and Aaron had changed…and Xander wanted nothing to do with him.

But standing outside his window at three in the morning, three days after they'd returned from Asgard, and Aaron looked like he hadn't slept since then.

After all the crap he'd put them through, and Aaron finally looked sorry.

Xander sighed heavily. "I'll be down in a second," he promised.

Then he grabbed a jacket and hurried down the stairs.

* * *

Sherlock sat in the living room, feet propped up on the coffee table as he typed madly away on his laptop.

"I'm heading out." Xander paused by the front door. "Aaron Rogers wants to talk…or whatever."

"Have fun." Sherlock said listlessly, focused entirely on his laptop.

Xander rolled his eyes and slid out the door, and the second Sherlock heard the front door lock behind him, he raised his phone to his hear.

"You've got that information for me yet?" A deep voice asked.

"Nearly there," Sherlock promised. "Are you aware of where your son is?"

"Yep." Steve Rogers sighed heavily. "Hopefully it helps him figure out what his problem is."

"if the conversation doesn't help." Sherlock said dryly, "Xander can always beat the problem out of him."

"Yeah." Steve agreed with a tired chuckle. "There's always that."

* * *

"Alright." Xander shoved his hands into his pocket. "What do you want?"

"Am I a bad friend?"

If Xander was surprised by the random question, he didn't show it.

"Yes." He said with certainty. "You're a horrible friend, and kind of a horrible person." Xander shoved his hands into his pockets. "Being attractive doesn't hide those facts."

Aaron winced.

"Are we done now?" Xander asked when Aaron didn't seem inclined to continue speaking, and after a moment, he turned to make his way back inside.

"Wait." Aaron burst out. Xander paused, but he didn't turn around. "I know you have no reason to listen to me, but you're the only one who's going to be completely honest. And…I need some advice."

"You want some advice?" Xander turned around, eyes blazing. He'd been waiting to say these things since...well, forever it felt like. And JJ finally wasn't around to tell him not to.

"Get off my lawn and out of my sight before I beat you to a bloody pulp. I don't care who your dad is or how tall you are, if you think you can get away with hitting my girlfriend, the woman who also happens to be your BEST FRIEND," Xander hissed, "then you've got another thing coming."

Aaron watched Xander's approach, a smile slowly growing on his face.

"Dude." Xander's eyebrows raised, and he stopped. "Why are smiling while I'm threatening you?"

"You're mad at me." Aaron explained, still smiling.

Xander didn't get it.

"Of course I'm mad at you!" He burst out. "You hit JJ! You've been a jerk to her for weeks! Why wouldn't I be mad at you?"

"NO one else seems to be mad at me." Aaron pointed out, and Xander huffed.

"Of course not." He admitted grudgingly. "You're the baby of the group, and everyone thinks that they need to coddle you. Little Aaron Rogers, can't do anything wrong." Xander rolled his eyes.

"But I'm not so little anymore," Aaron pointed out. "I can take care of myself."

Xander tilted his head, finally realizing why Aaron had sought him out, why he'd acted the way he had. "Is that what this was about? Were you trying to make everyone mad at you? On purpose?"

"Not exactly." Aaron admitted. "I really did think that those guys wanted to be my friends, at first. It felt nice to be invited to things…to be more than just my dad's son." He shrugged. "Then I realized they only wanted to be around me now because I fit into their mold, and I realized I was wrong. But I didn't want to come crawling back to the group, and I felt guilty about the way I'd been acting. But then," Aaron shook his head, a dry laugh escaping him. "It was like you guys didn't even care that I was a jerk. Despite the fact that I was different, that I'd grown…you were still treating me like I was fragile."

"Dude." Xander sighed. "You didn't become a whole new person right away. You just got taller." He shrugged. "We weren't going to completely change how it's always been just because of a growth spurt."

"Sure." Aaron agreed. "I get that. But then I started being a jerk. And still, no one commented."

"Jay did." Xander pointed out. "And you threw your best friend under the bus. NO one else was going to bring it up after that. They just wanted to keep the peace." Aaron grunted, and Xander narrowed his eyes.

"Why couldn't you have just taken Jay's word for it?" He asked. "Why did it have to be one of the others?" Xander's eyes narrowed further, into tiny little slits. "Is it because you didn't really consider her apart of the group?"

"Maybe." Aaron admitted after a moment, brutally honest. It pissed Xander off, but it was also crazy refreshing. Finally, Aaron was saying what he felt.

"But it was also because JJ has always treated me like a normal person. I wanted that from everybody, but only JJ seemed willing."

"And that made you mad." Xander guessed. "Why?"

"Because!" Aaron started to pace. "She doesn't see what everyone else sees; we're popular and well-known because of our parents. But you're a star athlete, so are Max and Steven, Rhiannon and Ben are smart, Marco has his music and his acting, and Leila is a little bit of everything! I just have my parents…and JJ doesn't even have that! How can she be so happy with who she is when she's the outcast of the group?!"

"She's hardly an outcast." Xander rolled his eyes.

"And that's the worst part!" Aaron threw his hands up in exasperation. "She's so integral to our group that when she's not there everything seems wrong. When I'm not there…no one notices. How is it that i constantly feel like an outcast as a legitimate super and she's got no ties but is our fearless leader?"

"Except," Xander pursed his lips, "She IS a super…and royalty…and pretty much an avenger?"

"And THAT," Aaron pointed excitedly, "is the ACTUAL worst part! She has everything…literally all of it, and she keeps it to herself? What's the point in that?"

"Maybe because she wanted to be friend with people who liked her for who she was, and not who her parents were? Also," Xander raised an eyebrow, "Maybe she understood that being liked and popular wasn't the most important thing in the world."

"Sure." Aaron rolled his eyes. "But what about when I was insulting her? It would have been a great time to make me eat my words!"

"If she's kept this secret for so many years, she's not about to break her vow of silence just to put you in your place," Xander said dryly.

And like that, all of the huff in Aaron went out. He breathed harshly, eyes wide.

And that's when Xander got it.

"That's what this is really about." He shook his head. "Not that she didn't shout her parentage from the rooftops, but that she didn't tell you."

"I'm her best friend." Aaron said softly. "Or…I was. Why wouldn't she tell me?"

"What?" Tell you that the one person who wasn't better than you was actually better than all of us combined?" Xander snorted. "Yeah, that would've made you feel better." When Aaron didn't seem to understand, Xander rolled his eyes. "Aaron…she was protecting you. She didn't want you to feel like a loser, like an outcast. And maybe, what you're so afraid of…being normal? Maybe that's what she wanted. She hardly gets that in Asgard."

Aaron grimaced. "Maybe you're right," he admitted. "But…she told you." He said, jealously seeping into his words.

"Yeah, she wanted to let me know what I was getting into if I really wanted to date her," Xander chuckled. "It still didn't prepare me."

Aaron smiled. "Little hard to realize that your girlfriend is the coolest person on the planet?"

"Eh," Xander shrugged. "I already knew that part. I just thought I was the only person who realized it."

"Not so much." Aaron said, thinking of the crowds of people who'd followed JJ around in Asgard.

"Exactly." Xan shrugged. "My girlfriend's amazing…and I'm just me."

"Oh how the tables have turned." Aaron shook his head, and the two teens stood in Xanders front yard at three in the morning, silent.

"Well." Aaron smiled hesitantly. "Good luck with your complex."

Xander furrowed his eyebrows as Aaron turned and walked away.

"Wait!" He called out. "What about you? Are you going to stop being a jerk now?"

Aaron turned, lips pursed. "I'll try, but it's a hard habit to break." He huffed. "I do have a few apologies to make."

"Knowing Jay," Xander shook his head. "She'll forgive you." He pointed a finger at Aaron warningly. "But don't do it again, because I will beat you to a bloody pulp next time."

Aaron raised his hands. "Understood." He grinned. "Thanks, Xan."

"Yeah yeah." Xander grumbled. "Just get off my lawn."

Xander watched Aaron walk down the street, smiling when the guy started to whistle.

Maybe things were looking up.

Xander sighed heavily.

And maybe he should call his girlfriend.

Admitting you thought your girlfriend was too good for you was never a fun conversation…but it was one that needed to be had. Xander didn't want to pull a Rogers!

* * *

 **Conversations and a Decision**

"So. I understand your friends spending a few days on Asgard has helped you come to a decision regarding your future?" Loki raised an eyebrow at his daughter, and she sighed.

"Yes." She put her fork down and looked at both her parents, who were seated across from her in a private dining room, waiting patiently for her to speak. She opened her mouth, and her phone rang. Eager to postpone the conversation, she quickly put the phone up to her ear.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey JJ, sorry to bother you," JJ rolled her eyes as Tony spoke. "But your dad said he had some extra files that he thought might help us find our captors?"

"Oh!" JJ brightened. "Yes." She rose quickly from the table and moved to her father's desk.

When it was just the three of them, Loki preferred to eat in his study, which is where they were now, giving JJ perfect access.

"Actually, I was reviewing the files he'd found before I packed them up to bring back, and I think I found them."

"Wait." Tony paused. "You figured out who took us?"

"I'm almost certain." She admitted. "Put me on speaker?"

"Done." It was Steve that spoke. "What do you have?"

"They're a species called Androrn. They consider themselves created solely to observe and analyze. They're pretty much a planet of scientists, and it sounds like the cage is just their most current experiment.

"Experimenting…what? Us?" Bruce snorted. "I'm a scientist, and I don't get it."

"I have a theory," JJ admitted, "if you want to hear it."

"Duh." Tony laughed. "it's probably right."

"You're not going to like it," JJ admitted.

Loki and Bucky shared a look and shook their heads.

"What's your theory?" Clint asked.

"It IS the hunger games."

"What?"Clint said, confused.

"The files here tell of an incident we had with the Androrn, the last time they were on Asgard. They apparently got into a very large argument with a few of our warriors. Asgard is mostly presumed to be the strongest and best species in all the nine realms, and Androrn, when they were here, asked for the proof. Of course, we don't have any because we're an arrogant people and we don't need proof, but evidence is the Androrns life blood. And because we couldn't offer them anything of weight,"

"They went looking for their own proof." Bruce finished. "They took subjects from each species and put them in a controlled environment, to see how they held up against each other…to see who was the best."

"Exactly." JJ said after a moment. "Now there's nothing I have to prove this,"

"But it all makes sense." Steve shook his head. "Thanks Jay. You'll bring those files with you when you come back?"

"For sure." JJ promised.

"And that will be when?" Thor asked.

"Tomorrow, early morning." JJ answered. "School starts again day after that, so tomorrow it is. I'll drop those files by your house, Rogers, when I get the chance."

"No rush." Steve assured. "We need to figure out our next steps before we do anything else."

"Alright." JJ's phone beeped at her, and she shook her head. "I gotta go, I have another call."

"See ya!"

"Bye"

"See you tomorrow!" The Avengers spoke their goodbyes over each other and JJ hung up the call with an eyeroll.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey Jay. I know you're busy…but I just wanted to apologize."

JJ narrowed her eyes and took a seat in her father's desk chair. "For what?" She asked frostily.

"For everything. Jay, you're my best friend. You always have been. You were there for me when I was scrawny Aaron Rogers and I was only liked because of who my dad was, and you were there for me when I hit my growth spurt. Despite the fact that I'm selfish and rude and I ditched you the second other people showed interest in me, you've never said any crap about me or tried to cause a fight. And I let the newness of looking different get to me, and I shouldn't have." Aaron sighed.

"I was jealous of you. When I looked at you I saw a person everyone loved, but you didn't have any of the things I thought I needed to be loved. It was infuriating that I had to work so hard for my popularity when you just had it. I preferred to believe that you were greedy and selfish and using us instead of people just liking you for who you are. And that was nothing you did…that was all my own issue."

"I don't expect you to forgive me, or to forget everything I've done to you. But I just want to say that I'm sorry. I can't promise that I'll never hurt you again, or that I won't ever get jealous again, because quite frankly, you're a lot cooler than you let on, but I won't ever purposely hurt you again."

JJ was quiet for a long moment. "Where did this come from?" She asked after a moment.

"I stopped think about myself." Aaron admitted. "And I took off my blinders. I saw what I was doing, and I wasn't okay with it. I don't want to be that person. I want my dad to be proud of me. I want you to be proud of me."

JJ smiled. "I will never not forgive you." She promised. "You're my best friend, Rogers. You're little phase won't change that. And I'm sure you'll still get irritated with all the changes." JJ sighed heavily. "That's why I didn't bring all this crap up…I was trying to avoid this problem."

"You shouldn't have to hide who you are." Aaron said. "Not for anything…or anyone."

JJ smiled. "Thanks Rogers." Her phone beeped again and she rolled her eyes. "I gotta go. Someone else is calling me."

"Alright. See you later?" He asked hopefully.

"Duh." JJ retorted. She quickly hung up the call.

* * *

"Hello?"

"You know I like you, right?"

JJ furrowed her brow. "Well…I'd hope so, we ARE dating."

Xander scoffed. "Well, obviously I like you, otherwise we wouldn't be dating, but," Xander sighed as he tried to explain, and JJ grimaced.

"This was too much, too soon, wasn't it?" She guessed.

"It was a lot." Xander admitted. "I knew that you were this cool awesome person, but it's a lot different to know it in theory then to see it in person."

"I get that." JJ leaned back. "This has gotta be rough on you."

"It's a lot," Xander said again with a sigh, "But it's a part of who you are, and I'm glad I got to see that side of you."

"Sure, as long as seeing it didn't give you a complex." JJ put in. When Xander didn't respond right away, she groaned. "Oh no…it gave you a complex?!"

"Not a big one," Xander promised quickly, "And not for long."

"But?" JJ pressed.

"But…you're royalty. You're a leader, and even if the others don't know it yet, soon you're going to be a queen. A literal freaking ruler of an entire realm, Jay, and I'm just…me."

"I'm sorry…when did the tables turn?" JJ joked. "Isn't it supposed to be ME who should be feeling inferior about dating a Super?"

"Not when said Super is dating a future queen." Xander retorted.

"I'm just saying, Xan, I know how you feel. And it sucks, feeling like you're not worthy of being with the person you adore, and being told so by everyone around you…but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what they think. It matters what you think, and what I think. And I think you're amazing. I couldn't be who I am without you."

"You adore me AND think I'm awesome?" Xander repeated. JJ snorted, and Xander laughed. "Well, I adore you and think you're awesome too." He said softly. "I think you're going to do amazing things, and I want to be by your side when that happens. I want to be with you."

"Despite what everyone else thinks?" JJ checked.

"Despite what everyone else thinks." Xander agreed. "Yes…I had a mini complex, but I mostly worked it out. Rogers helped actually."

"Really?" JJ asked surprised. "You guys are talking?"

"Kind of." Xander snorted. Then he shook his head. "Anyway, yes I had a complex, but I got over it, Rogers helped, and talking to you finished it off. No more complex."

"Good." JJ smiled. "I 'm glad you didn't let this thing fester and ruin our relationship, and talked to me instead."

"I'm glad too." Xander agreed softly. "I'll see you later, then?"

"For sure." JJ promised. "School starts back up again tomorrow."

"And your Dad's letting you come back?"

"With reluctance," JJ smirked. "But, I wore him down."

"You're good at that." Xander joked.

"I'm good at everything." JJ corrected. She smiled softly. "I'll see you soon."

"Alright. Bye." Xander hung up, and JJ pulled her phone from her ear a moment later.

She returned to the table, where her parents waited patiently for her. She smiled.

* * *

"So." Loki said after a moment. "Your decision?"

JJ nodded. "I'm tired of the back and forth," She admitted. "I know you are as well. So, after I graduate high school," She took a deep breath. "I will be returning to Asgard to begin my training full time."

"You are accepting the crown?" Loki clarified.

JJ bit her lip, but then she nodded.

"Can I ask why?" Bucky asked. He didn't seem angry, or upset, so JJ answered.

"My life on earth has always been about everyone else," she admitted. "It's always been about my friends, and their families, and I don't know if that will ever change, at least not if I stay there. I've let them become too dependant on me as well, and if I don't remove myself, they might never lose that dependency. And I…" JJ huffed, "I need to live my own life. I need to live it for me, and I know I can do that here. Also," JJ sighed, "Earth has been where I've lived for the past few years….but Asgard has always been home to me. It has always been MINE, and I'm not content with leaving it."

Loki nodded, and after a moment, Bucky did the same.

"Alright." Bucky rose and moved around the table to pull his kid into a hug. "I accept your decision…and just know your moving doesn't mean you're getting rid of me." He winked. "I'll still be around all the time to bug you relentlessly.

JJ beamed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

 **Review/Follow/Favorite**

 **~CLC~**


	20. Falling

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **Falling…into Place**

The Supers were in the middle of lunch the first day back from spring break when the cafeteria suddenly went silent.

The group wasn't surprised when they turned to find JJ, smiling awkwardly at all of the eyes locked on her. She unfroze after a moment and hurried towards her friends, shaking her head. She paused at the head of the stairs, facing her classmates with a regal tilt of her head.

"What?" She snapped. "I'M not the one who decided to grow six inches and gain 40 pounds of muscle overnight." Some of the kids chuckled, easing the tension in the room.

"Nah, you're just royalty." This came from a dark-skinned teen standing at a far table. Her arms were crossed, an eyebrow raised challengingly.

"Awww, Shona!" JJ groaned dramatically, eyes rolling. "Why you gotta go and bring that up?"

"Maybe because it changes everything!" Another girl a few tables over stood as well. Her hands fell to her hips. "How are we supposed to treat you now?"

"Do I look like I got a crown on my head?" JJ mimicked the girls pose. "I expect to be treated the way I always have been. As a friend and a peer." She smiled. "Of course, I will now be demanding that you bow and refer to me only as your majesty, but," She shrugged, "let's not make a big deal out of it."

Shona chuckled and the other girl let loose a smile.

"I'm still me, Vicky," JJ promised. "I've just got a really scary, famous dad, that's all. Which SHOULD be something y'all are used to." She pointed at the table behind her, where the Supers sat. "Can I go eat my lunch now?"

Shona and Vicky shared a look, then the two shrugged.

JJ rolled her eyes, hopped up the last few steps to the balcony where her friends sat, and faced them head on.

This was the REAL test.

* * *

It was Ben who broke the silence.

"Well, I'm not bowing to you." He stuck a fry in his mouth and grinned. "But I don't mind calling you your highness!"

"Not necessary," JJ assured, smiling widely, "JJ is still fine."

"I think I like Super JJ better," Aaron teased, and JJ shoved him lightly before taking the empty seat next to him.

"Ohh!" Rhiannon nodded in agreement. "I like it!"

"NOOOOO." JJ complained, but Marco and Steven spoke over her, agreeing enthusiastically.

"I would hardly call myself a superhero!" JJ threw in, hoping that would deter her friends. But she had forgotten about Mjolnir.

"Come on, seriously?" Max scoffed. "The hammer?"

"I've picked up a new tool for my toolbelt, so what?" JJ reasoned. "Not a big deal."

"But what about your weird feeling-things?" Xander pointed out.

JJ shot him a look. "Feelings aren't weird…unless you're saying they are." JJ's eyes widened dramatically. "Is that what you think of my feelings for you? That they're weird?"

"Of course not!" Aaron answered for Xander. He blinked innocently when JJ turned to him. "Your feelings for Xander are gross."

"Hey." JJ shoved him again. "That's your opinion, boob, not his. I have it on good authority that he likes me." She winked at Xander, then frowned. "Unless he thinks my feelings are weird?"

"I'm not talking about those kinds of feelings," Xander rolled his eyes, "Though it's nice to see that the band's back together again." He raised an eyebrow meaningfully. "I'm talking about the way you can sense things, things that are going to happen."

Rhiannon shot her brother a confused look. "Like the bowling alley idea? And the trick plays?" He raised an eyebrow. "That hotel we were going to use?"

"Right!" Steven raised a finger. "What about those weird feelings?"

"Well," JJ hedged, "I may or may not have the ability to touch certain inanimate objects and get feelings about potential bad things to come." She admitted. "But," She made a face, "that's really not very often, and it's totally no big deal."

"Really?" Leila crossed her arms. "Cause that sounds awesome."

"It's not." JJ said dryly. "Really. Can we change the subject?"

"Oh! Pick me!" Ben shot his hand into the air. He only put it back down when he had everyone's attention.

"So." Ben folded his hands on the table. "you guys are friends again?" He beamed at JJ and Aaron. "That's great news!"

"So we can actually talk about the civil war that's been going on?" Marco sighed in relief. "Finally!"

"Seriously, though." Leila clanked her fork and knife together meaningfully. "Because you two are the bestest friends in the entire world and seeing you guys fight is like watching two puppies grow into feathered velociraptors overnight and then try to eat each other.

"Disturbing and Descriptive." JJ said after a moment.

Leila shrugged unapologetically.

"Well, we're still friends." JJ shrugged. "Just because Aaron decides to go through a late phase of emotional puberty and be a jerk doesn't mean that I'm going to desert him." JJ smiled at Aaron. "He'll always be my best friend."

Aaron smiled back. "I can't promise I won't be a jerk again," he admitted. "I'm still getting used to all of this! But I won't ever mean it." He nudged JJ's shoulder. "You'll always be my best friend back."

"Awwww." Max clapped his hands. "So does this mean we're all back to normal?"

"Nah." Xander shook his head. "We're not even close to being back to normal." He shared a smile with his girlfriend. "We're in a much better place than we were before."

JJ thought about for a moment, then nodded, completely in agreement.

* * *

 **Falling…in Love**

"Alright Team." Leila pulled out stacks of paper and a large pink highlighter at lunch a few days later. "It's April 7th. You all know what that means."

JJ and the others shared a look.

"We do?" Max asked, and Leila shot him a glare.

"You should." She said frostily. When everyone maintained their confused expressions, she sighed heavily. "We are officially in single-digit countdown."

"For?" Steven asked dumbly, but JJ brightened.

"Prom!" She pointed at the large sign on the wall above their table. "It's in nine days!"

Everyone at the table's eyes widened. "Nine….days?" Rhiannon repeated slowly. "It's that close already?"

"Dude." Max leaned back in his seat. "I don't have a date!"

"I don't have anything to wear!" Marco threw his hands up.

"How did we not know prom was so close?" Xander ran a hand through his hair.

"Guys, guys." Leila patted the stacks of paper in front of her. "Don't worry. I've got this all figured out."

"You have a plan to get all nine of us dates and outfits and make the necessary plans and arrangements, all in nine days?" Xander asked disbelievingly.

Leila raised an eyebrow. "I have been planning this dance since sophomore year, Xander. And actually," She pulled a notebook towards her, "it won't be that difficult. Due to inter-mingling, four of us already have dates," She looked pointed at Xander, then smiled at Ben, who gulped. "And I've gone through all of the entire senior and junior classes to come up with this list of possible dates for the others," She pulled a stack of index cards out of her pile. "All they have to do is ask their respective dates and we can check that box off. As for clothing, the girls and I will be going shopping tomorrow after school, and Mr. Rogers has already agreed to take the rest of you on Sunday." She grabbed a magazine out of the pile and threw it at Xander. "I've marked a few styles you'll want to look at," Xander flipped the magazine open and Steven and Max leaned over to see better. "The limo has already been rented, and the reservations for dinner have been set: we'll be eating at Mario's," she informed.

"Fancy," Rhiannon nodded in approval and Leila grinned.

"I dropped Princess JJ's name and he was more than happy to make our reservation," She admitted. JJ snorted.

"So you have it all planned out then?" Marco crossed his arms in amusement.

Leila nodded. "the day of all of the girls, including your dates," She pointed at the guys, "will get ready at JJ's house. The guys will get ready at Aaron's house, and then show up when they're ready at JJ's for pictures. The limo will pick us up there. Dinner's at 6, the dance starts at 8, and afterwards, back to JJ's for the after party!"

"Wait, we're having the after party at my house?" JJ raised a hand.

Leila shrugged. "It's fine," She said dismissively, I already talked to your mom about it."

"Well if he's fine with it," JJ chuckled, "I guess we're good to go."

"Except for the date thing." Max raised a hand. "Who is my date?"

Leila smiled and handed him a pink index card.

"Stephanie Santoro?" Max wrinkled his nose.

"She's on my volleyball team!" Rhiannon perked up. "She's really intense."

"Isn't her dad a mob boss or something?" Aaron made a face.

"Just because she's Italian doesn't make her a part of the mafia!" Marco shook his head, then he winced. "But yes…her dad is a mob boss."

"That's….awesome!" Max grinned. "You really think she'll go with me? We have chem together and she always rolls her eyes at my jokes!" Which, to Max, was the highest form of praise.

"It doesn't hurt to ask." JJ shrugged. She grinned at Leila, caught up in the moment. "What about for the other boys?"

Leila pulled out more pink index cards, and Rhiannon and JJ laughed at the shocked look on the boys faces.

"And before I forget!" Leila handed Rhiannon a blue index card. Rhiannon frowned down at the name. "Grayson Daniels?"

Leila nodded. "Baseball star, friends with Max. Super hot?"

"I know who you're talking about," Rhiannon said dryly, and Xander frowned. "But him? Why?"

Leila grinned. "He's from London originally. He'll be moving back after graduation, so if you two hit it off…Leila shrugged, "no long distance, since you'll be there for college." She winked. "Also…the accent is hot!"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, but she stared down at the card thoughtfully.

"What else?" Marco held out a hand, eyes pleading. "What about MEEEEEE?" Leila rolled her eyes and handed out the rest of the index cards, grinning when her suggestions were meant with enthusiasm.

"Now," JJ smirked and crossed her arms. "Y'all just have to figure out cute ways to ask your dates to prom."

The guys looked at each other with wide eyes and groaned loudly.

"I can't wait to see what creative and thoughtful ideas you guys think up." Leila said sweetly.

The boys groaned louder.

* * *

Ben was the first to execute his master plan.

He knew that by going first he wouldn't have to be too crazy, because he wouldn't have to top anyone. THEY would have to top HIM.

He walked into Leila's homeroom with a stuffed bear that was bigger than him, the bear wearing a sign that said _"I couldn't BEAR to go with anyone else…so will you go to prom with me?"_

Leila had squealed and jumped up and down and hugged the bear and then hugged Ben, and Ben had grinned at Marco and Xander, who were also in Leila's class.

 _Your move,_ he had mouthed, and both boys had grimaced.

It wasn't Marco who went next, and neither was it Xander.

It was Max.

* * *

The next day was a Saturday, and the baseball team and softball team were having their annual Gender Defender game.

Max had made it a point to speak with Steph in Chem and at lunch the last two days, and armed with the knowledge that she was dateless and didn't completely hate him, he made a plan.

Steph's game was softball. She played everything other sport, and was great at them all, but softball was her passion.

She played shortstop and when it was Max's turn to bat, he'd turned slightly to whisper something to the catcher.

His first two pitches were strikes, and then the catcher called a timeout. The pitcher ran over, and the two spoke for a minute. The pitcher beamed, retrieved the ball from the catcher, then moved back to the mound.

Max's next pitch was right down the middle and Max swung, bat connecting to the ball with a loud crack.

The hit was a drive straight to the shortstop, who caught and wound up, pausing when she saw that Max hadn't moved from home plate.

Instead, he pointed to the ball in her hand with a grin.

Confused, Steph looked down, surprised to find the ball in her hand covered in words.

She shook her head, a smile growing on her face as she read. She looked back up to Max, who shrugged and held out his hands innocently, a bright smile on his face.

"Yes!" She yelled, and the crowd, most of whom knew this would happen, cheered loudly.

"But only because you hit it straight at me!" She said, and Max pumped a fist and grinned, running towards her to pick her up in a tight hug. She returned it, laughing, then tapped him lightly in the forehead with the ball.

"You're out," she informed cheekily, and Max returned to his dugout, grin never leaving his face.

* * *

"That was a good one," Xander admitted grumpily from the stands.

"REALLY good." Aaron added glumly.

"How are we supposed to top that?" Marco asked exasperated.

"I don't know if you can," JJ admitted.

"But good luck trying," Leila added sweetly, and the boys groaned.

* * *

Rhiannon had introduced herself to Grayson at the gender defender game, and to Leila's delight, they had really hit it off. The two had gone for coffee afterward, and when Gray had admitted that he had no idea how to ask a girl to prom, Rhiannon had got an idea.

On Monday during fourth period, a freshmen student delivered a white box to Gray. Bewildered, he was afraid to open it, but his math partner - Marco - urged him to.

Gray opened the box to reveal a deep red tie, with a little card.

The card read,

 _Here is a tie,_

 _And this is a clue,_

 _My dress is red,_

 _And I'd love to go to_

 _Prom with you!_

Grayson had beamed and put the tie on immediately. He wore it the entire class period, hugging a smiling Rhiannon after class where she'd waited to hear his response.

Marco had grimaced, and shot Ben a look.

Ben patted his back sympathetically. "You'll think of something," He promised. "Maybe not as good as THAT…but something."

Marco huffed and stormed away.

He needed to think of something good…and FAST.

* * *

Steven also asked his date out on Monday, but he waited until school was over.

He'd been friends with Shona for a long time, they were both on ASB, and he thought they'd have a great time at Prom. He brought up maybe going as friends, and she'd thought it was a great idea.

But he hadn't officially asked her yet.

Hence the balloons that came pouring out of her locker after school on Monday. She'd had to pop them to spell out the words _will you go to prom with me?_ Shona had rolled her eyes but nodded yes.

"Totally unnecessary," She'd told a grinning Steven.

Steven had shrugged. It had been totally necessary on his end.

He'd had to show up his friends!

Xander, Aaron and Marco had watched with arms crossed, shaking their heads.

"We HAVE to come up with something." Marco muttered. "FAST."

"I actually have an idea," Aaron spoke up. "But I need a partner," He smiled at Marco. "You in?"

Marco norrowed his eyes. "What you got, Rogers?"

Aaron grinned and pulled Marco down the hall.

Xander threw up his hands. "Fine!" He called after them. "I'll come up with something on my own!"

"Good luck!" Aaron and Marco called out. Xander grunted and stomped his way down the hall.

Apparently he had more googling to do.

* * *

Marco and Aaron's idea was definitely the best.

Their plan went down on Wednesday. Aaron had entered the cafeteria right in the middle of lunch. He said nothing as he made his way to the center table and climbed on top of it. Then he pivoted until he was staring at a nearby table, specifically at a girl.

Her name was Mikayla. They'd been in the same English class all four years of high school. She was kind of shy, a band geek, Aaron had labeled freshman year. Sophomore year he'd found out she played the bass in a punk rock band, and junior year he'd gone to half of the performances her band had done; to support her yeah, but also because their music was awesome.

Mikayla was quiet but pretty, talented but not conceited, and she'd seen Aaron when he was invisible.

"Hey Mikayla." The first words he spoke were a greeting. The cafeteria hung on Aaron's every word.

"You know what to do with that thing?" Mikayla had raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the guitar, and Aaron grinned.

"I think I can figure it out," He responded, strumming a note that reverberated in the nearly silent cafeteria.

The cafeteria door slammed open once more, and Marco strode in, also carrying a guitar. He jumped on the same table as Aaron and turned to face a different table.

Marco's potential date was named Victoria. She was very shy, but an amazing writer. She wrote Fanfiction in secret and when you finally got her talking, was absolutely hilarious. She was also drop dead gorgeous and a red-head, and Marco was a sucker for red-heads.

Also, she thought he had an awesome singing voice.

"Viccky," He grinned. Victoria shook her head, her cheeks as red as her hair.

Aaron and Marco shared a look, then looked back at their potential dates.

"This is for you guys," they said together.

Marco began to play, and after a moment, Aaron joined in.

* * *

"This is awesome." JJ pulled out her cellphone and began to wave it back and forth.

"They haven't even started singing yet." Leila argued, though she reached for her phone too.

"Doesn't matter." Ben grinned. "They win."

Max opened his mouth to argue, but JJ shushed him as Marco began to sing.

 _I will save you_

 _Every time you need a rescue_

 _When there's no stars at night_

 _I'll stay until the sun shines_

Aaron joined Marco for the next part, his voice singing the bass part to Marco's tenor.

 _But you want something that_

 _I will never be_

 _So I just need you to know_

 _I may not be able to fly_

 _But I'll take you on adventures_

 _I may not move at the speed of light_

 _But if you need me I'll be there_

Aaron and Marco shared a grin as they got to the chorus.

 _Ooooooh_

 _I'll save the day when you start to lose hope_

 _Ooooooh_

 _But I will never be a superhero_

JJ burst out laughing, and Aaron shrugged at his best friend, trying to focus on singing and not start laughing himself.

 _I'll never be a superhero_

 _I'll never be a superhero_

Aaron took the second verse on his own, his voice clear, but not as confident as Marco was.

 _Don't get me wrong I'd_

 _Love to have my own theme song_

 _No one knows my real name_

 _Just you, don't give me away_

 _But you want something that_

 _I will never be_

 _So I just need you to know_

The chorus came around again, and slowly, the other students began to join in.

 _I may not be able to fly_

 _But I'll take you on adventures_

 _I may not move at the speed of light_

 _But if you need me I'll be there_

 _Ooooooh_

 _I'll save the day when you start to lose hope_

 _Ooooooh_

 _But I will never be a superhero_

 _I'll never be a superhero..._

Aaron and Marco began to strum a little faster as they moved onto the big finish,

 _No matter how hard I try_

 _Or baby how long I fight_

 _I'll never be_

 _No I'll never be_

 _Just shine a light in the sky,_

Aaron and Marco both paused mid-strum, to point to the cafeteria wall at the same time as all the lights in the cafeteria turned off except for one spotlight where the word Prom? Was illuminated.

Everyone was silent as they waited for the girls reaction.

Mikayla jumped up, lips pursed and arms crossed.

Vicky stood slowly, face bright red. "They're ridiculous," she called out, and Mikayla nodded in agreement.

"Totally." She tilted her head. "So…what should we tell them?" The two girls shared a smile, then they looked at the boys.

Marco and Aaron grinned.

The girls simultaneuously answered "YES!"

The boys grinned and high fived each other and everyone started clapping.

"All-together now!" Marco yelled and began to strum again, and everyone joined in singing the chorus one last time,

 _I may not be able to fly_

 _But I'll take you on adventures_

 _I may not move at the speed of light_

 _But if you need me I'll be there_

 _Ooooooh_

 _I'll save the day when you start to lose hope_

 _Ooooooh_

 _But I will never be a superhero_

 _I'll never be a superhero..._

* * *

It was after school on Wednesday and the boys were at a suit fitting when Ben brought up what everyone was thinking.

"Xander! You're next!" He frowned. "And last. What's your plan?"

"Hmm?" Xander frowned at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his sleeves.

"Prom? Asking JJ?" Aaron grimaced. "You didn't forget, did you?"

Xander turned slowly, smiling at his friends. "I didn't forget," he said mysteriously.

The other guys shared a look. "Uhhhhh…so," Marco's eyes were narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Xander straightened his bow tie. "I already took care of it."

"You did?" Ben's mouth dropped. He crossed his arms. "When?!"

"You remember when I brought Jay those chicken wings?" Xander smiled.

"Yeah, and she wouldn't share." Max scowled.

"That was before spring break, though." Marco pointed out. "You asked her that early?"

"I didn't want her dance card to get full." He shrugged.

"But really…WINGS?" Steven shook his head. "That's so…." He sighed heavily. "Perfect for JJ."

"But was there at least a cute note or something?" Ben asked, arms still crossed.

"Yes there was a cute note," Xander rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot."

"And?" Ben finally crossed his arms and leaned forward. "What did it say?"

 _"I've never asked someone to Prom before….so I'll just WING it,"_ Xander recited.

"Cute." Marco approved. "But more importantly, it came with wings, so," he shrugged, "I guess you nailed it."

Xander smiled. "I like to think so."

"Guys," Marco pulled everyone off the couch and shoved them in front of the mirror. "Look at us. Senior year, all of us together, getting ready for our last high school dance." Marco smirked. "Aaron is the tallest out of all of us, Xander's dating JJ of all people, and we're all still best friends, even after so many years."

"It has been one crazy ride," Ben said wistfully.

"A lot of ups and downs," Max added.

"Sometimes more downs than ups." Steven smiled at his friends.

"But we're still here," Xander said firmly.

"And we're still kicking!" Marco raised a fist.

"Watch out world," Aaron grinned.

"Because here we come."

* * *

 **Falling…into Trouble**

"JJ!"

"AHHH!"

JJ slipped at the sound of her name, not expecting anyone to be at her house. Her backpack went flying in one direction, the bag holding her prom dress in the opposite direction, and JJ fell to the ground.

"Whoops." Steve hurried to JJ's side, helping her stand upright again. "Sorry."

"You should be," JJ grumbled, rubbing her butt. "What are you doing at my house?"

"We had a question." Tony caught sight of the dress bag and was immediately distracted. "Is that your dress? Gimmee." He snatched the bag from the ground.

JJ screeched and grabbed for it. "Don't you dare, Tony Stark!"

"What?" Tony grinned, hand on the zipper. "Is it supposed to be a surprise?"

JJ paused and her eyes narrowed. "I guess not." She grinned. "You really wanna see?"

"Duh." Tony rolled his eyes and JJ smirked.

"Okay, come here." She moved into the living room, groaning when she saw it was already occupied. "Dudes! Get out of my house!"

"No." Thor leaned against the couch cushions.

JJ made a face. "You can't just break into my house whenever you want and refuse to leave. Not unless you bring me a present, anyway."

Steve smiled and pointed to the coffee table, where a dozen donuts sat. JJ's eyes lit up and she grabbed a chocolate one and stuffed it in her mouth.

"You're forgiven," She said, mouth full. She plopped onto the couch in between Thor and Bruce. "So what's this question?"

Steve pushed a spreadsheet in front of her. "We've gone through all of the records your dad's given us, and we've identified every creature we've come across. We have a tentative motive but no way of proving it, and,"

"What Steve is saying," Clint interrupted, "Is we've got the who, what, when, where, and how. What we DON'T have is the why."

"So do we close the case without that information or do we continue to worry about the reason behind it all?" Thor added.

"Nah." JJ shook her head and reached for another donut. "That just makes all of y'all a glutton for punishment. I think the real question you're trying to ask isn't WHY, because really, they're crazy, that's WHY,"

"True," Clint agreed. "So what's the real question, then, smarty pants?"

"Hey, that's PRINCESS smarty pants to you," she grinned, Clint bowed mockingly, and JJ rolled her eyes.

"Which, thanks for letting us in on that stellar piece of information," Tony shook his head. "I wasn't surprised AT ALL."

"Course you weren't," JJ grinned. "But seriously….you guys are the fathers of my friends and my sort-of patients kind-of friends second." She grimaced. "If I wasn't telling my actual friends, you weren't going to get to know either."

"You didn't even tell Thor?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't have to…he guessed. And now everyone knows, so it's no big deal anymore."

"Of course not, your highness." Steve joked, and JJ raised her hands.

"Look at it this way; I don't have to lie by omission anymore, Thor can officially retire, and Aaron isn't so much of a punk anymore. It's good right? Life is finally falling into place for everyone?"

"Maybe," Clint frowned. "But what about this last question that's supposedly plaguing us? The one you haven't even told us yet?"

"Ah, right. The real question, which is, did the Androrn get what they want? Or will they come back to collect you?"

"Well," Steve said after a moment. "That IS a serious question."

"And it kind of stalls us, life-wise. How can we move on if we don't know whether or not it's safe to?" Bruce speculated.

JJ shrugged and reached for her third donut. "You guys have been doing a pretty good job of it so far…but I do have a way to answer that question…AND the why question at the same time."

"Really?" Tony leaned forward intrigued. "Do tell."

"It's simple." JJ swallowed the last bit of donut she had in her mouth. "We ask them."

"What?" Thor blinked.

"I know it's not very sneaky, but it's the quickest way to finish this." JJ rose and carried her donuts to the kitchen. "I'll set something up and let you know when I've finalized all the details." She smiled and opened the front door so her guests could leave.

They stood slowly.

"You just…want to go and ask them?"

JJ shrugged. "It took us awhile to figure out who it was, but now that we know, what's stopping us?" She rolled her eyes. "What's the point of being royalty if I can't visit my lovely Allies?"

"So…it's that easy? You ask to set up a meeting, and they do it?"

"Hello. Princess?" JJ pointed at herself. "That's pretty much how it works." She tilted her head. "I've never used my powers so maliciously before." She laughed evilly as she pushed the Avengers out of her house. "I could get used to it."

"Hey." Tony frowned. "I didn't get to see your dress."

"Prom is in three days." JJ rolled her eyes. "You can wait that long." Tony grumbled, and JJ snorted.

"Goodbye," she said seriously, shutting the door on them.

"Can she really set up a meeting with our captors?" Steve turned to Thor, who shrugged.

"I believe that Justice is capable of anything she sets her mind to," he admitted freely.

"But is it smart?" Bruce pressed. "To walk straight into the lair of the ones who kidnapped us?"

"Probably not." Thor shrugged. Clint snorted.

"But when," He pointed out, "have we ever been smart?"

Bruce huffed at that.

It was true, the Avengers hadn't always made the smartest decisions…so why start now?

* * *

 **PROM?! I'm stoked. And ANSWERS! Yasss. Also: JJ is a princess but still JJ and that's just cool. Nothing else could go wrong!**

 **Except we still have ten more chapters...MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	21. Prom

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **Preparation**

"I can't believe this is everyone's last school dance!" Nicole held both hands to her cheeks and watched the girls bustle about, fixing hair and putting on makeup and adjusting their dresses.

"Well, yours anyway." Jane grimaced. "I've got middle schoolers, so I've got all the dances to look forward to."

"And I have a freshman." Pepper grinned. "Though it'll be nice to witness the "dance frenzy" from a female point of view."

"I'm currently witnessing a female dance frenzy," Bucky shuddered, "and I personally never want to witness this again."

"Cheers." Clint clinked his beer with Bucky's. "Why are we here anyway? Why couldn't we have been with the guys, getting ready? I'm sure it's not as bad as…this."

"We're here because we have daughters." Bucky shook his head. "Yay, us."

"I'm sure it's just as frantic at my house as it is here," Nicole rolled her eyes.

"More." Pepper shook her head. "Boys are weird."

Bucky and Clint shared a look.

"Well, you are." Jane pointed out helpfully.

"Mom! This curl won't stay!" Jane sighed and moved into the fray, weaving her way towards Rhiannon, who held up a curl, frantic. Jane soothed her daughter with a few words and a bobby pin.

"Mrs. Rogers, would you help me?" Max's date, Steph, shot Nicole a wide-eyed look, and Nicole nodded and moved to her side.

Steven's date was in the middle of curling Aaron's date's hair and Marco's date was studiously applying makeup.

"Chaos." Clint shook his head. "Utter chaos."

"Watch though." Bucky pointed to the clock. "At exactly 5, when the boys are supposed to arrive, every curl will be in place, all makeup spotless, just watch."

"I believe it." Clint chuckled. "The mysteries of teenagers, right?"

"Speaking of teenagers," Bucky frowned. "The boys will be here in ten minutes. Where's my kid?"

"Yeah." Leila turned, hands on her hips. "Where is she?"

"I've been here the whole time!" JJ burst into her living room, wearing ratty jeans and a dark hoodie. There were leaves in her hair and dirt streaked on her face, and she was panting loudly. "It's fine."

"You've been here the whole time?" Bucky raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

JJ made a face. "I'm here now?" She tried.

"And we only have ten minutes to get you prom ready!" Leila's eyes narrowed. "What," She began slowly, "was so important that you had to take care of it on the most important day of senior year?"

"I wouldn't consider prom the MOST important…" JJ trailed off at the look on Leila's face. "Right. I'll just throw my dress on first."

"Wait!" Steph stepped forward, a curling iron in one hand and a brush in the other. "Let me do something with your rat's nest."

"No, that's fine." JJ shook her head. "You finish you, I'll do something with me."

"Not gonna happen." Leila pulled JJ into the middle of the living room, and the girls descended on her. JJ shot her father a helpless look, and Bucky shook his head.

* * *

"We're not going to help her then?" Clint watched the scene unfold before him, eyes wide.

"You really want to step in the middle of that?" Bucky shook his head. "I don't think so."

"They have eight minutes." Clint looked at the clock.

"They'll make it." Bucky said firmly.

And 8 minutes and thirty seconds later, when the doorbell rang, every girl was dressed and primped, smiling and ready for the boys.

JJ looked pained, shrugging when she caught Bucky's look.

"I think they pulled my arm out of socket when they shoved me into my dress," She admitted, and Bucky couldn't hide his chuckle.

"It's not funny," She smacked him on the arm, but she was smiling too. "I'm gonna go find my boyfriend. You just…sit here and look pretty."

"Done and done." Bucky clinked bottles with Clint, stepping back so the boys could enter the room.

* * *

The boys looked immaculate, suits pressed and faces clean, jaws dropping when they caught sight of their dates.

The men in charge of getting the boys to that point looked decidedly more disheveled.

"How," Steve gasped, falling against the wall next to Bucky, "do boys even cause that much chaos?"

"You'd think we were preparing them for war, not a school dance," Thor shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

Clint raised an eyebrow. "Was it really that bad?"

"Aaron lost his underwear, Xander was entirely convinced that someone had switched plain white shirts with him," Sherlock raised a finger, "Because everyone one of these boys is wearing a white dress shirt, so mix ups could happen,"

"But it didn't." Bruce shook his head. "Xander had his shirt the whole time: he was freaking out about nothing."

"And Max chose today of all days to be clumsy," Tony pointed at the blonde teen who was sheepishly showing his date his wrapped hand.

"What happened?" Bucky asked, handing his beer to Steve, who finished it in three large gulps.

"He fell down the stairs." John shook his head.

"And landed right on top of Stephen." Dean added, who was was letting his date look at his wrapped knee.

"So was it crazy here, too?" Sam asked dryly.

Clint and Bucky shared a look. "Totally," they nodded.

"Crazy. Girls, you know?" Clint added.

When the other guys looked back to where dates were seeing each other for the first time in all their finery, Bucky and Clint shared a smirk.

* * *

 **Pictures**

JJ burst out laughing when she caught sight of Aaron.

He preened. "It's pretty great, right?"

Aaron's suit was periwinkle blue, his bow tie matched perfectly, and his shoes were a bright white.

"You look fabulous." JJ complimented.

"And hey, look," Aaron pulled JJ close and lifted his pant leg, revealing red socks with white stars on them. JJ hooted.

"You're ridiculous." She shook her head.

"Hey, but look at how gorgeous my date is," Aaron pointed at Mikayla, whose dress was the same blue as his suit.

JJ tilted her head. "I just realized," She turned back to Aaron, "this is the first school dance we're not going with each other."

"Oh." Aaron frowned. "You're right."

"Weird." JJ shrugged. "Speaking of dates, I should probably go find mine."

"Yeah, go find your spazz." Aaron patted JJ's shoulder then moved through the crowd to his date, who smiled brightly at him.

"They're cute." JJ's date whispered in her ear.

"You're cute." JJ turned to smile at Xander.

"You're…beautiful." Xander shook his head. "Absolutely stunning."

"Stop it." JJ slipped her hand into Xanders and pulled him towards the front door. "You can continue later," she promised, "but right now, it's," JJ was cut off as Nicole, Jane, and Pepper simultaneously yelled,

"PICTURE TIME!"

* * *

The first shot was a general group shot: the girls in a row, the boys standing behind them.

Then came the individual shots; Rhiannon in a red mermaid gown and Grayson wearing a plain black suit and the red tie Rhiannon had gotten him. Then came Leila and Ben, Leila with her blond hair in a side bun and Ben wearing a blue bow tie that matched Leila's dress. Steven and his date Shona went with the color yellow, and it paired beautifully with their dark skin. Aaron in his ridiculous blue suit shot the camera his best half-smile, and his date grinned easily beside him. Marco's date wore a light pink, and Marco wore a tie to match, while Max sported a deep purple bow tie to match his dates deep purple dress.

Last was Xander, in his all white suit, and JJ; wearing a long, form-fitting black dress with a high neckline and sleeves that covered her arms. The dress lacked all embellishments, simple and beautiful. It matched JJ perfectly, and the contrast between Xander's all-white made for a great photo.

Then came the "half-group" shots, as Leila called them. Leila demanded a girls shot with all of the girls, then a picture of just herself, Rhiannon and JJ. Then she had an all-boys shot, then one with just Xander, Steven, and Max. Then she forced everyone who was a part of The Beat, Marco's performance group, to take a shot.

"For our next album cover," Marco had joked, but Leila had shot him an evil look, so he quickly went silent.

After Leila got all the pictures on her list, she took requests.

Rhiannon wanted a picture with her brother, so they took a silly shot.

JJ pulled Aaron to her and demanded they get a picture, so they took a few. Nicole got a little overexcited and kept snapping away of the two of them, only stopping when Steve took the camera from her.

JJ suggested everyone take shots with their parents, so that took a while.

Loki showed up the nick of time, and JJ got a picture with both her parents.

Then, the last shot, was a Supers shot; and Leila, Ben, Rhiannon, Xander, Steven, Max, Marco and Aaron squeezed together with JJ for the picture.

"Avengers on three!" JJ called out. She squeezed Xander's hand and shot Aaron a smile as she began to count down. "Three, two one!"

"AVENGERS!"

* * *

 **Grand Entrance**

"Whoo." JJ nodded in approval at the 30th floor of Stark Tower, where the prom was being held. "Classy."

"Yeah, I thought it'd be dumb," Marco shrugged, "Because I live here and all, but it's not bad looking."

"Are your parents here?" Shona asked, and Marco shook his head.

"They're at JJ's moms, where we'll go for the after party." Marco informed, and Max fist bumped.

"The parents are gone, the chaperones are in short supply, and I know the DJ! You know what that means!"

"Cupid Shuffle!" The Supers said together with an eyeroll, and Max beelined towards the DJ.

"That's how we're starting this off then? With the cupid shuffle? Really?" Aaron shook his head.

"What better way to start off?" Mikayla tugged on Aaron's arm. "I love that song!" Aaron rolled his eyes but let himself be pulled onto the dance floor.

"Young love," JJ smiled up at Xander, "Do you remember when we were like them?"

"Sure." Xander grinned. "It was only five minutes ago. My memories not THAT bad."

JJ chuckled and pulled Xander onto the floor. "Well, let's go get our shuffle on then!"

* * *

"And the prom king is…" Steven paused as he ripped open the envelope that would tell him who had won the most precious title a male senior could hold.

The Supers and their dates had a prime spot, right in the center of the dance floor.

"Ten bucks says it's Xander," Max called out as they waited, and Rhiannon rolled her eyes.

"I hope not," She said, "His head's so big, that crown wouldn't fit!"

The group laughed, and Xander huffed. "That's so rude." JJ patted him on the chest.

"There, there," she teased. "It'll be all right."

Marco pulled out a wad of ones. "Ten bucks says it's Aaron," he bet.

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Really? After I spent the last ten weeks being a total butt?"

"People love butts," Marco shrugged, and JJ snickered.

"Ten bucks says it's JJ." Steph input, and Max brightened.

"Oh it's totally JJ," He agreed enthusiastically.

"What?" JJ reared backwards in supply. "That absolutely makes no sense."

"It's totally Jay." Xander agreed, wincing when JJ hit him in the shoulder.

"It's NOT me," she argued. "Now shut up with your horrid lies, Steven's about to announce."

Steven slowly opened the envelope in his hand, reading the words written on the inside and smiling.

"Our Prom King, Marco Stark!"

"Whoo!" Marco's date was the first to react, raising a fist in the air. "My man's a king!"

Marco was the second to react, a bright grin growing on his face as he bounded towards the stage. He ran straight towards the mic, not even waiting to be crowned.

"I'd like to thank my mom, for raising the punk that is myself, and for my dad, for being smart enough to hideout during all the years of teenage angst,"

"Harsh!" JJ called out. "But accurate," She said after a moment, and Marco pointed a finger at her but continued, "I wanna thank my adopted sister and real sister for putting up with me, and my friends for being my friends."

"That doesn't even make sense!" Max hollered. "But you're welcome!"

"And lastly, I wanna thank Justice Jay Barnes, the coolest person I've ever met, and the only one who could ever keep me in line. Once I'm in California and she can't tell me what to do, the world better watch out!"

JJ rolled her eyes as Marco just held up two fists and stepped away from the mic, finally allowing Steven to crown him. Marco gracefully moved to the side of the stage, and Steven moved up to the mic.

The crowd went silent, eagerly waiting to hear whom their female royalty would be.

"And our prom queen…" Steven began slowly.

"Ten bucks says it's Aaron." Aaron shot JJ a dirty look, and she smiled cheekily at him from where she was tucked protectively underneath Xander's arm.

"Hundred bucks says its JJ."

"You just lost a hundred bucks." JJ crossed her arms with a grin. Xander shot her a look. "What?" She shrugged. "I helped tally the scores, of course I already know the answer."

"So who is it?" Rhiannon asked excitedly. JJ rolled her eyes.

"Wait five seconds and find out." Rhiannon pursed her lips, but Max dutifully counted down.

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

"Leila Barton!"

* * *

Leila's mouth dropped open in shock.

It was clear that she hadn't been expecting this. And while the others hadn't either, they could easily get behind the idea of it.

JJ whooped loudly, and Rhiannon clapped excitedly. Ben pulled Leila into a tight hug which she returned after a moment.

The other boys rallied with her name "LEI-LA! LEI-LA! LEI-LA!"

A beautiful, beaming Leila joined Marco on the stage, the two friends hugging each other tightly. Steven proudly placed Leila's crown on her head, and the supers switched their cries from her name to an eager… "SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH!"

Leila waved her hands with an eye roll, leaning towards the mic stand in front of her once they'd finally silenced.

"I always knew I was royalty," Leila began with a wistful smile. The crowd let loose a few chuckles, and Leila's smile turned more genuine. "I quite honestly never expected to be picked," she admitted. "I'm hardly the prettiest person in the room, or the nicest, or the most popular. But I gladly accept this crown, and all the responsibilities that go along with it. But before I relinquish this mic, I'd like to thank a few people: My fellow royalty," She shot a smile at Marco, who threw up a thumbs up, "For sharing his mom and his home with me during the worst time of my life." Marco's thumb dropped, and his hands were shoved into his pocket. He shrugged off her thanks, a bashful smile on his face. "I'd also like to thank the entire school, for rallying behind me and helping me deal, for not treating me any more like a nutcase when my dead dad turned out not to be so dead," the room chuckled again, and Leila shrugged, "It was a crazy time for all of us," she admitted, "And lastly, I'd like to thank my friends; for always being there for me, for being the family I never had, and sometimes didn't want, and for making me a better person, specifically JJ," Leila pointed a finger at her friend, "Everyone's conscious and best friend, I love you, but graduation is just around a corner, and it's time to get a life." Leila shook her head. "And mothering us doesn't count." JJ shrugged, smiling.

"I'll see what I can do," she promised, and Leila grinned.

"Again, thank you so much for this honor and this neat crown, and…let's party!" The juniors and seniors of Avengers high cheered loudly, and Leila stepped back from the mic. Marco leaned forward to give her a hug, then led her to the dance floor where the Prom King and Queen danced together for a song before their dates reclaimed them, and the rest of the room quickly joined them on the dance floor.

JJ turned to Xander. "Lay just pretty much gave me permission to be more selfish," she mused.

Xander grinned. "And what are you going to do with this new freedom?" He teased, looking down at his favorite girl.

JJ tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed as she thought. Her hands slid down to twine her fingers through Xanders.

"I think I'll start with…dancing with my super-hot boyfriend." JJ smiled widely, and Xander couldn't help but return her grin. She pulled him towards the dance floor, and he followed quickly with a chuckle.

"I think I can live with that."

* * *

 **After Party**

 _"The night's young, and we're young, so let's drive in the car and go anywhere,_

 _windows down, radio up, let's lose sleep and make memories tonight,"_

The Supers entered JJ's house singing. Bucky and the other parents, seated on the back porch, could hear them as they crashed through the front door.

"MOMMY!" JJ yelled loudly, and Bucky, lounging in a chair on his patio, rolled his eyes as Steve and the others chuckled.

"We're in the back!" Bucky called out.

"I see that." JJ was the first through the sliding glass door, her dress wrinkled and her hair falling out of its restraints. But her smile was wide and infections, her hand clasped tightly in her boyfriends. "Did you guys have a good night?"

"It was alright." Clint brightened at his daughter's arrival. "Yo! What's with that sparkly thing on your head!"

"You're looking at the Prom queen!" Leila squealed, and Marco appeared next, throwing his arm around her, he held his crown in one fist.

"And prom king!" Marco beamed.

Pepper and Tony shared a bemused smile.

"Why am I not surprised?" Nicole added.

"I was actually thinking about this on the ride over," JJ plopped into one of the loungers, pulling her boyfriend down with her, "And Leila is beautiful and regal like a princess, so it makes sense," Leila preened, "And Marco's always been a drama king, so," JJ shrugged, and Clint snickered.

"So we're here," Max shot his father a look, who was nursing beer and seated next to Sherlock, "And we're alive. Mr. Barnes can watch us now…the rest of you can go." Max's eyes narrowed. "Especially you, dad." John rolled his eyes and stood, Sherlock doing the same after a moment.

"Jane will be expecting me," He explained, "She stayed back to watch the girls."

"Yeah, I've gotta go inspect the damage done to my tower." Tony stood as well, holding out a hand to help Pepper stand.

"The parents are leaving?" Steven and Aaron shared a grin. "Yes!"

"I have to work in the morning," Bruce stood.

"And I'm your ride," Dean grinned.

"I don't have anywhere to be," Clint grinned at Ben, whose eyes widened.

"Dad!" Leila stomped her foot, and Clint sighed heavily.

"Fine, I'll get outta here."

"You don't have to leave," Aaron smiled at his parents. "You're cool."

"Aww," Nicole moved forward to kiss Aaron's forehead. "Suck-up," she accused, and Aaron's mouth dropped open.

JJ burst out laughing. "Mrs. Aaron's mom!" She said jokingly, "Language!"

"Yeah, Mrs. Aaron's mom," Steve teased, pulling his wife towards him. "There are children present."

"I changed my mind," Aaron grumbled. "You're not cool anymore."

"Fine!" Nicole threw up her hands. "I'm leaving." She smiled at her son. "Have fun…but not too much fun."

"Don't worry," Bucky promised, "I'll make sure you get him back in one piece."

Steve winked at Bucky, then lead his wife towards the front door. "See you later Buck. Have fun, kids."

"We will!" The kids chorused as the parents filed out.

Once the door had closed, Bucky turned to the group of kids in his backyard. "Party!" He threw up his hands, and after a moment, the kids did the same.

Bucky grinned.

That's right.

HE was the cool parent.

* * *

 **Confrontation**

When Steve heard the noise in the kitchen, he just assumed it was Aaron.

But then Steve remembered that Aaron had come home two hours previous, the clock just striking two am, and when the noises continued and Aaron was suddenly standing in the doorway asking blearily who was downstairs, Steve shot upright.

He grabbed a baseball bat and Aaron grabbed the plunger from the bathroom. Nicole mumbled something about "idiots" and rolled over and went back to sleep.

Ignoring her for the moment, Aaron and Steve crept down the stairs, listening the creaking of the kitchen floor that meant somebody was definitely in there. Steve paused in the doorway, shooting his son a look.

Aaron nodded slowly, and when his dad jumped out, Aaron had his back.

JJ sat on the countertop, chomping on an apple and blinking slowly at them.

"If I were a real robber," she said seriously. "I would be real scared." She pointed at Aaron. "A plunger? Really?"

Aaron dropped the plunger with a grunt. "It was all I had." He admitted.

"Breaking into my house?" Steve shook his head. "Really? What kind of person does that?"

"Yeah…It's just so rude." JJ rolled her eyes. "But I didn't break in. She held up a hand, where a silver key dangled. "I have a key."

"She has a key?" Steve looked at his son, and Aaron shrugged.

"It's for emergencies," he admitted.

"Anyway," JJ hopped off the countertop. "I'm here for a reason." She examined Steve critically. "You're going to want to change. I'll get ahold of everyone else."

"Wait, why?" Steve rubbed an eye. It was too early for this.

"That meeting I said I'd schedule? Well, they finally got back to me." Steve's eyes widened. "They're ready to meet with us…but we've gotta go now."

"Now?" Steve shook his head. "Wait…now?"

"Are you deaf?" JJ snapped. "Yes, now. Go get dressed."

Steve hurried up the stairs and dressed in record time. Nicole sat up at one point, and Steve had just said "JJ" and she'd huffed and rolled back over.

By the time Steve had made it downstairs, everyone was already there.

"Are we ready?" JJ asked the group with a grin.

"I have to ask one more time," Bruce raised a finger. "Is this smart?"

JJ laughed. "No," she said honestly. "But I have a good feeling about this."

"I'd trust her." Aaron came hopping down the stairs, wrestling a sneaker onto his foot. "She's got those feeling-things down pat." He straightened. "Also…can I come with you guys?"

"No." Steve and JJ answered at the same time.

"It's too dangerous." JJ crossed her arms.

"And you should really be in bed by now. You have school tomorrow." Steve added.

Aaron blinked at his dad. Then he turned to JJ. He blinked a few times at her.

"Fine." JJ caved instantly. "You can come."

"Whoa! No." Steve shook his head. "I'm the dad!"

JJ squinted her eyes, and Steve sighed. "Fine. You can come."

"Yes!" Aaron fist pumped. "Where are we going?"

JJ chuckled evilly.

"We're going," She smiled at the rest of the Avengers, then turned back to Aaron.

"We're going to speak with The Capital."

* * *

 **Because pretty much, yeah, it's the capital. Yay.**

 **To quote Han Solo... "I have a bad feeling about this."**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	22. Case Closed

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **A Meeting with the Capital**

"Whoa."

Aaron looked around the room, eyes wide.

Steve and the other Avengers did the same.

"So this is where the rats live?" Tony muttered, eyebrows narrowed fiercely.

"Well…no." JJ rolled her eyes at Tony. "They don't live HERE, exactly. They have houses. This," She gestured to the large metal and silver room, where a single row of metal chairs sat in front of a large opulent platform that looked able to seat a little over two dozen people. "This is just their…courtroom, if you will."

"Wait! Are we here to be judged?" Aaron turned to JJ, his arms crossing. "I did not sign up for this."

JJ made a face at Aaron. "First of all, you're the one who wanted to come, so suck it up. And Secondly," She shook her head quickly. "You're not the one being judged. They are."

"Hey!" Tony's hands fell on his hips.

JJ shrugged unapologetically. "Well, you are - sort of, in a way, I guess." She patted Aaron's arm, who stuck closely to her side. "This is the home of the Androrn. We joke about how Asgard is the home of the jocks, but this place really IS the home of science nerds. Everything to them is an experiment, if there isn't something to prove there's no point. We're here to get some answers, and I'm sure the only reason they agreed to speak with us is so they could get some of the same."

"So what are the odds they let us all leave after this little chat?" Tony asked.

JJ shrugged. "Right now?" I'd say it's about fifty-fifty."

"Great." Clint flopped into one of the hard backed chairs and JJ hissed.

"What?" Clint jumped up, darting his gaze towards the chair, which looked fine.

"Sitting down is a sign of weakness." Thor explained, patting Clint's shoulder. "Placing these chairs here are a test: to see if we will admit to having need of them, or if we will face the Androrn head on."

"Sneaky." Tony approved. "So where are they?"

The moment Tony finished asking, doors slammed open and a group of about thirty strode into the room, taking the raised seats in front of the Avengers.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Aaron muttered in JJ's ears.

"Harry Potter." JJ guessed. "The Wizengamot?"

"Exactly." Aaron nodded. "This is Harry's trial in fifth year, where he almost gets screwed over, but then Dumbledore shows up and saves the day."

"Have I told you recently," JJ mused, "how much of a nerd you are?"

"Not recently," Aaron shook his head, shooting JJ a bright smile that she returned.

"You're a nerd."

Aaron and JJ turned back to watch the Androrn settle themselves into their seats.

* * *

Androrn shared some physical characteristics with the humans, the same two arms, two legs, one chest, one torso, one head. But their heads were enlarged, as if their brains were twice the size of humans.

Perhaps they were.

While Humans had two eyes, a nose, two ears and a mouth, the Androrn had no ears or nose, three eyes (the third placed where a nose would be on a human,) and a mouth, exactly where it should be. Every Androrn in the room had a pale blue skin, so light blue as to almost be translucent.

The Avengers took in the species before them, mouths dropped open and eyes wide.

"Juss."

JJ startled slightly. Aaron hadn't called her "Juss" in years; he'd claimed that it sounded like Jess and it was a totally appropriate nickname, but that it was a best friend nickname, and as the best friend, he was the only one who could call her that.

But he'd stopped using it in middle school.

"What?" JJ raised an eyebrow.

"Are we about to get screwed over?"

"No." JJ responded immediately. "Because in this situation," She winked. "I'm Dumbledore."

* * *

"And what," the Androrn seated in the center chair, a woman with long white hair, two blue eyes, her middle a bright green, drawled lazily. She didn't even look at the Avengers.

Another Androrn, standing to her right, checked his papers. "Species O429635, from experiment 9B5BA206E6F74AE7." He answered hastily.

"Ah." The woman straightened. "Yes." She looked at the assembled avengers then, the eyebrow above her green eye raised. "The escaped experiments."

Steve stiffened and stepped forward, but the female Androrn raised a hand.

"Status of the experiment?" She asked, the same Androrn from before scrambling through his papers.

"Species O429635 survived all nine stages with only one casualty," Clint hissed, but JJ put a warning hand on his arm, and thankfully, the Androrn ignored his outburst, "and successfully departed the containment unit on Earth Day one hundred and sixty one of year 2016."

"And their classification?" The woman asked.

The androrn didn't have to look in his papers for this one, his pale blue skin turning a dark navy. "Classification: Vantablack."

The other Androrn began to mutter amongst themselves. The Avengers shared a look.

"Is that bad?" Thor asked JJ, who made a face and turned to Bruce.

"Vantablack is the darkest shade of Black – ever." Bruce answered slowly. "So we're either at the top of their classification level,"

"Or we're at the bottom." Clint shook his head. "Which one's better?"

"Subject 001." The female Androrn narrowed all three eyes on Clint. He stepped forward, chin tilted haughtily.

"What is experiment 9B5B – whatever?" He asked haughtily.

The Androrn twittered at Clint's outburst, but the woman in charge simply tilted her head.

"You speak of the experiment you participated in?" She clarified. Clint nodded slowly. "You dedicated over 4,000 earth days to the cause and you are not even aware of what the cause IS?" The woman shook her head, her voice filled with derision.

"Dedicated?" Thor snorted, his massive arms flexing dangerously. "We were held in your containment unit against our will, and we didn't just depart, we escaped."

The Androrn began to speak amongst themselves at this news, and the female had to hiss harshly to silence them.

"The experiment you," the female raised all three eyebrows, "unwillingly participated in, was simply to observe the durability and resilience of Species 0429635, who self-identify as humans. As part of this experiment we first observed you in a stage one environment, with little to no complications for you. As time passed, we changed your environment stage. As you successfully endured each stage, you were moved to the next, until you had graduated every stage of issues we had." She snapped her fingers, and a file was passed to her.

"Once you had survived all nine stages, our experiment was complete." The females eyebrows furrowed. "Of course, you are the first experiment to have survived all nine stages. So although you we were no longer in need of you, our team of Scinquinists,"

"Scientist Inquirers," JJ hissed to Aaron, who'd looked confused.

"chose to allow you to remain in the unit, to see if you would eventually succumb, or if your feeble hearts and minds would simply continue to…beat on." She smiled at them.

"And you did."

The Avengers shared a look.

"And when was stage nine completed?" Bruce asked slowly.

"On day," The woman checked her files, "One thousand, four hundred and sixty."

"Four years in?" Tony blinked. "You got everything you wanted from us four years in, and you just…kept us there?"

"You were free to leave at any time." A male Androrn seated a few feet away stood. He had no hair on his large, smooth head, but he made up for it with the long white beard that looked to drag on the floor. "Had you found the exit." He added smugly.

"Had we-" Steve spat disbelievingly. He opened his mouth to say more, but suddenly Aaron was shoving past him and marching towards the Androrn council.

"8 years!" He spat. The Androrn leaned back, shocked at the angry outburst.

But Aaron wasn't done yet.

"You kept half of my family trapped in your little cage 8 years longer than you need to, and for what? Extra observation? You stole my father from me for over half of my life and you sit there and act like you've done nothing wrong!"

"What is it that you think we've done wrong?" The main Androrn asked coldly.

"Everything!" Aaron threw up his hands and the Androrn gasped. "You call your selves scientists, and you believe you're doing nothing wrong, well, surprise! You're doing everything wrong! You're kidnapping and torturing and treating other intelligent species like little more than cattle and you're cruelty knows no bounds. You can't even perform an experiment right!"

Being called cruel didn't faze the Androrn. Being told they don't know how to interact on a social level wasn't an insult, it was fact.

But critizing their experiments?

That would not be tolerated.

The female Androrn slammed her hands on the desk in front of her and rose slowly, leaning over so she could speak lowly.

"You DARE to speak so condescendingly to ME,"

"Oh yes I DARE," Aaron interrupted, "How am I supposed to take your little experiments seriously when they don't seem to factor in the fact that Experiment 9B9BA206E6F74AE7", (Aaron spit out the number correctly in its entirety and even in the middle of their outrage at his accusations, the Androrn couldn't help but be impressed.) "was not a single species group? It seems to me that you've been classifying each existable species on a level of durability, and yet, it doesn't seem that you've considered either multi-species groups or half-breed subjects or even enhanced high single level subjects. How then, is your experiment accurate? How then, is the experiment complete? I'll answer for you: Your information is neither accurate nor complete, and you yourselves are incompetent!"

Aaron allowed his final insult to ring, his chest heaving as he attempted to catch his breath.

* * *

The Androrn had been stunned into momentary silence. But then the moment ended and they jumped to their feet in outrage, shouting and hissing among themselves.

JJ, seeing the venom in the Androrns gazes, leapt forward, pushing Aaron behind her, as if intending to protect him using her body.

"Please," She shouted over the din, the voices lowering as JJ continued to speak. "Forgive the human. He did not mean to speak so arrogantly to such a wise species, and he should not have verbalized his insults."

The Androrn in charge tilted her head, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"You do not refute his words." She recognized.

JJ shrugged lightly. "His words hold merit, and though I might not agree with everything or the manner in which he spoke them, his thoughts are his own and neither he nor I will apologize for them."

JJ's frankness caused a few to hiss, but the majority of the council before them simply listened closely.

"The boy. He was sired from Subject 004?"

"Captain Steve Rogers, Earth Alias Captain America." JJ confirmed.

"And you?" The female pressed. JJ hesitated.

"The sire who claims me hails from Asgard." She inclined her head. "His Royalty, the King of Asgard, Loki Laufeyson."

Other than a terrified whimper, the widening of eyes was the only response JJ's words got.

"My original origins cannot be traced. I assume my claimed sire will do?" JJ added dryly, and the Androrn in charge nodded slowly, though her discolored eyes began to gleam.

"I was unaware an Heir championed a group of Humans." She said lightly, and JJ tilted her head.

"It's a recent development." She spit. "Now, if I may cease with the arguments and accusations and proceed to why we have requested this meeting?"

The Androrn inclined her head.

"The subjects involved in Experiment 9B5BA206E6F74AE7 wish to confirm that their services are no longer needed and that further contact, forced or otherwise, will no longer be necessary. They simply wish to live peacefully on Earth for the rest of their days, and request a vow of separation."

The Androrn in charge narrowed her eyes, but then nodded swiftly and turned to discuss with her council using low, harsh whispers.

* * *

"A vow of Separation?" Aaron whirled to face JJ, who rolled her eyes and gestured for the Avengers to form a huddle of their own.

"What the punk said." Tony spoke as soon as they were all resituated. A vow of separation?"

"It's an unbreakable oath that forbades the Androrn from speaking to you, keeping tabs on you, kidnapping you, or using any of you in experiments ever again. It is the best protection that we can get you; they can't touch you, not even after you're dead."

"Whoa." Clint held up a finger, suddenly looking a little green. "What would they want with us after we're dead?"

"They're scientists." JJ answered with a small smirk. "Scientists without morals, I might add. You really want me to list all of the ungodly things they could do to your dead bodies?"

Clint shuddered. "Nope. I'm good with ignorance on that one."

"That's what I thought."

"So we confirm this vow, we get out of here, we live the rest of our lives in peace?" Steve checked the plan.

JJ nodded, then looked over her shoulder. Seeing that the Androrn had come to some sort of conclusion, she gestured for everyone to turn to face them. "Come on," She encouraged lowly. "Let's do this."

The female leading the Androrn, stared at JJ for a long time. JJ took a step forward and stared back, chin tilted haughtily and lips pursed, hands clasped loosely in front of her, looking for all the world as if she weren't worried.

Finally, the lead Androrn nodded smartly, having seemed to have gotten whatever it is she wanted.

"We agree to a vow of Separation regarding every subject involved in experiment 9B5BA206E6F74AE7. The Androrn vow to never again interact in any way with Subjects 001, 003, 004, 005, and 006."

Clint winced.

Subject 002 must have been Tasha, then.

"It will be," the Androrn intoned, "as if they do not exist to us."

JJ turned to the Avengers, who only shared a quick look before shrugging.

JJ was Dumbledore here, so if she was good with it, they were good with it.

"We accept." She finally said.

"So be it." The Androrn clapped her hands, and the room lit up a brilliant blue, before the color dissipated.

"We thank thee greatly for granting us audience and will take our leave now." JJ bowed lowly, then turned and began pushing the Avengers towards the exit.

They were nearly there when the Androrn in charge spoke.

"Her majesty's original origins: they wouldn't happen to be of Midgard?"

JJ turned slightly.

"Partially," JJ admitted after a moment. "As for the other part; your guess would be as good as mine." Then she shoved the Avengers through the door, stepping over the threshold herself the moment she was able, and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Let's get out of here." She muttered.

The Avengers nodded, agreeing unanimously.

* * *

Aaron nudged JJ's shoulder as they departed.

"Are you going to yell at me for losing my cool?" He asked.

"No." JJ chuckled. "You said everything I was thinking, and to be quite honest – you weren't wrong. But how did you know so much about their experiments?"

"I read the file Dad left on the table the other night." He admitted. "It sounded fascinating, but those wannabe scientists really limited themselves by only testing pureblood species. Mixed species could be a fascinating comparison; you know, what one species lacks another has? The experiments could've found the ultimate unstoppable breed if they'd just gone a little deeper."

JJ stared at Aaron, eyebrow raised.

"What?" He asked warily.

"I know I've already hit my daily quota," she grinned, "but your little rant warrants an extra one."

Aaron smiled, guessing JJ's next words – and he was right.

"You're a nerd."

* * *

 **Senior Year**

"Ugh."

"You alright there?" Marco raised an eyebrow at JJ and took a huge slurp from his soda.

"No." JJ shook her head. "Steven, Xan and I just got done with our student council meeting, and do you know how much we have to do?"

"Nope." Marco grinned and threw his crumpled straw wrapper at her. "Because I'm not on the council," He added smugly. JJ didn't move; not trying to catch it or even to dodge, she just blinked tiredly as the litter hit her in the face.

"Well," Stephen settled into his chair and pulled out a bright pink piece of paper. "We have to finish the order of ceremonies for Graduation, figure out all the logistics of senior breakfast and the last senior skip day, as well as finish up the planning for the assembly and finalize plans for our senior prank."

"That part's gonna be legit," Max spoke up. He puffed his chest up proudly. "I get to help with that."

"Right." Stephen rolled his eyes. "Not to mention we each have to finish our individual senior projects and somehow fit in time to go to all of the end of the year parties we've been invited to."

"I know!" Xander raised a hand, winking at JJ, who just squinted at her boyfriend. "Let's divide and conquer." Stephen pursed his lips, listening. "You do all the dumb boring stuff," Xander continued brightly, "and Jay and I will tackle the parties." JJ finally perked up at that, a smile blooming on her face.

"I know it's an uneven divide," She turned to consider Stephen seriously, "but Xan and I will manage somehow."

"Not a chance," Stephen shot down flatly, though his lips quirked in the corners. "Because the senior prank is your baby, Jay, and Xan is too invested in the assembly not to be a part of it. Also…" Stephen stuck out his lip a little bit, "I too like to party."

Rhiannon snickered and leaned forward to pat Stephen's back. "There, there, you poor baby. Here's what we'll do," She grabbed the list from Stephen's hand and looked it over. Leila handed her a pen.

"Leila, Ben and I will handle the last senior skip day; we'll make a plan then broadcast it so everyone knows, and we'll handle the actual day of as well, though everyone will be called on to help with loading and shopping in the three days leading up to it, so leave those days free." Rhiannon wrote something down.

"Aaron, Max and JJ will take care of the Senior prank." The three prank committee members grinned and high fived, and Rhiannon pointed the pen at JJ, who raised her hands innocently. "Keep it safe and legal," she ordered, and JJ just winked.

"Boring!" Max sung, and Rhiannon rolled her eyes, ignoring him to continue planning.

"Xander, the assembly is kind of your thing, but keep Leila and Stephen in the loop; as cheer captain and president, they can be a big help with getting volunteers and such. Now for the senior breakfast," Rhiannon raised an eyebrow, "I really think we should outsource this."

"To the moms!" JJ straightened, clapping her hands. "That's brilliant! They'll be amazing at picking the right place and getting the reservation!"

"Plus, it will help them feel involved without getting too much in our business," Stephen mused. "Brilliant. Do it."

Rhiannon added a few words to her paper.

"Okay, so that just leaves the rehearsal and actual graduation. That feel more manageable Stephen?" Rhiannon asked, and he nodded.

"I think if the student council and you guys could meet up once or twice, we could get all the other details hashed out," Stephen narrowed his eyes. "Wow!" He grinned. "I feel so much better."

"Of course you do," Rhiannon smiled. "Organization is the key to happiness."

"I wouldn't say that," Aaron and JJ said together, and the rest of the Supers snickered.

And suddenly, meetings and planning sessions and prepping for the most important events of senior year took over the Supers lives…but luckily, Leila was in charge of making sure the Supers got out and relaxed…and Leila was nothing if not thorough.

* * *

"Alright, I've got it."

"Got what?" Ben leaned over Leila's shoulder to peer at the paper in her hand. She rolled her eyes.

"Only the most important schedule of senior year!" She grinned. "I talked with all the usual end of the school year party hosts and got the info for all the big parties so we don't miss one."

"That is the most important schedule," Stephen said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, and Leila stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, it's certainly the funnest." JJ blew her straw wrapper at Max, who smacked it, the wrapper hitting Xander in the face instead. JJ smiled apologetically, and Xander shrugged, forgiving her instantly.

"What's the first gig, sis?" Marco plopped his shoes on the table. Aaron grunted in disgust and shoved them off. Marco shrugged nonchalantly.

Leila checked her paper, then grinned.

"It's the party at Greg's parents cabin just outside of the city."

"That one always tends to get crazy." Rhiannon pointed out.

Xander huffed and threw his apple at Rhiannon. She caught it and threw it back. He ducked and it hit Max in the face.

"Come on!" Max made a face at the twins, touching his nose gingerly. "Really?"

"Sorry!" Rhiannon and Xander said together.

"Anyway…" Leila drawled. "Back to the party. It's this Friday. Xan, you wanna chauffeur everyone in your giant vehicle?"

"Sure." Xander counted in his head. "I can fit all but two of us."

"I'll riding up with Gray," Rhiannon spoke up. Xander shot her a glare, and she shrugged.

"And I have to bring myself," JJ added apologetically, "It's my last day working at the therapist's office."

Xander threw up his hands. "Fine! Ditch me like that then!"

"Calm down." JJ and Rhiannon said at the same time. They shared a smile.

"We're just finding our own rides. We're all going to the same place." Rhiannon reasoned.

"Yeah, it'll be fine." JJ promised. "We're gonna have a great time."

Xander crossed his arms.

JJ huffed. "I promise, It's gonna be a great night." She smiled charmingly at her boyfriend, and after a moment, he relented and smiled back at her, his hissy fit over as quickly as it had started.

"Baby," Stephen muttered under his breath, and everyone snickered in agreement.

Xander tried to keep looking mad, but his mouth quirked into a smile.

He shrugged at his girlfriend. "I know," He agreed. "It's gonna be awesome."

Aaron didn't verbally disagree, but his face scrunched up angrily.

What was his beef?

* * *

 **Aaron**

"Hey." JJ plopped onto the ground next to where Aaron sat.

He had his textbooks out, like he was studying, but he was staring into space.

"You okay?" JJ nudged his shoulder. Aaron shot her a half-hearted smile, then shrugged.

"I think so," He said slowly. JJ waited patiently as he thought, her hands running through the grass they sat on. "It's just…I finally got used to high school, and it's going to be over soon. What am I supposed to do now?"

"College?" JJ tried. When Aaron made a disgusted face, she chuckled. "Okay, never mind. You don't have to go to college." She shrugged. "You don't have to do anything, if you don't want to. I'd rather you do nothing than pick a career or school just for the sake of feeling productive. Take your time and figure out what it is YOU want to do, and then do that."

"Yeah." Aaron sighed. "It's just hard not to feel the time crunch. And everyone else already knows what they're doing…" Aaron shot her a look. "Your majesty."

JJ snorted, her hands clenching into fists, the grass breaking under her grip. Aaron didn't notice, too caught up in his own misery.

"Yeah, well, I only made that decision like a week ago." She pointed out. "And I could change my mind any second!" She added, a tinge of anxiety in her voice, yet another thing that Aaron didn't catch.

"But you won't." Aaron said flatly, and JJ shrugged.

"I won't." She agreed, slowly. "I know what I'm doing, but you're not me, and that's okay. I'm rather fond of who you are, anyway," JJ nudged him again.

Aaron smiled reluctantly, letting one of his hands drop to the grass, close enough to JJ that she pressed a few fingers into the skin of his forearm.

"Feel better?" She asked after a moment, and Aaron sighed.

"A little bit yeah." He let one hand rest on top of the arm JJ was touching, then sighed, moving to collect his books. "But heads up? I am feeling a mood coming on."

"Uh oh." JJ clambored upright, smiling wryly. "Am I gonna have to put you back in line?"

Aaron thought about it. "I don't think so," He said after a moment. He smiled and winked. "But who knows?" He patted JJ on the shoulder and strode back into the school. JJ tilted her head and watched him go, trying to decide if his odd behavior was something she needed to worry about or not.

After a moment, she decided to just stay alert and see how things went.

Because, he did warn her. So whatever was going to happen next shouldn't be TOO bad.

* * *

 **Case Closed**

"Mom! The light of your life has just stepped through the door!" JJ dropped her backpack on the living room chair, and sighed as her front door shut behind her.

Bucky watched her shoulders relax and the tension in her face ease, and he felt a pang for having to ruin the mood. He coughed lightly, and his daughters recently relaxed shoulders tensed, her eyes opening. "I literally just got home," JJ threw up her hands, a whine in her voice. "How am I already in trouble?!"

"There are people in our backyard." Bucky said, blinking slowly, doing his best to hold onto his straight face. "They were here when I got home." He added after a moment. "And they refuse to leave." He said as if it were an afterthought.

JJ's eyes narrowed in confusion, then her expression cleared. Her hands fisted.

"Those idiots," She muttered, stomping towards the backyard. Bucky watched her march off with a smirk, but the smirk bled into a frown as he watched her, unable to look away from the sag of her shoulders.

The burdens she carried were so heavy...and most of them weren't even her own.

* * *

JJ threw open the back door and stepped through dramatically, planting her hands on her hips.

Tony flipped a burger at the barbecue.

"Surprise!" He grinned.

JJ just shot him a glare and turned to scan the rest of her patio.

Tony was at the barbecue, and the other avengers were seated around the table, all except for Steve and Clint, who stood at the edge of the patio, chatting.

"Why are you in my house?!" JJ screeched, her fists clenching.

Thor beamed and held up his glass. "We're celebrating!" He clinked glasses with a bemused Bruce.

"Celebrating what?" JJ asked slowly, moving towards the grill and inhaling deeply.

"The end of our investigation." Clint pulled up a seat at the table. "We were gonna celebrate without you, but decided it would be more fun to break into your house again."

JJ plopped into the chair and rested her cheek on one hand. "One," she began, raising her eyebrow at Clint, "this is my mother's residence. I'm here simply by his good graces."

"Lucky I like you so much," Bucky stepped through the sliding glass door with a smile.

"Lucky I'm so cute," JJ smiled widely at her father, who rolled his eyes and moved to stand by Steve.

"Lucky I have the patience of a saint," Bucky shook his head. "Now go eat a burger before you get cranky."

"Food!" JJ hopped up from her chair, clapping. "Y'all should've started with that." She skipped over to Tony and peeked over his shoulder, poking one of the patties."

Tony slapped her hand away, and she pouted, but waited patiently.

"Hurry!" She said after a few moments, her patience wearing thin rather quickly. "I've got places to be!" Thor tossed her a carrot and she made a face, but bit into it.

"The one up in the mountains?" Clint asked, taking a carrot for himself.

"Yep." JJ nodded, mouth full. "It's one of the big end of year things, and if I skipped out, everyone would kill me." She huffed, but then shrugged. "Also, I've heard the parties up there get kind of crazy, so I have to go and make sure everyone stays in line." She nodded matter of factly, and Clint leaned back in his seat to shoot Bucky a look.

Bucky just crossed his arms and shrugged.

"Dude." Clint raised an eyebrow. "I think you SHOULD skip this party."

"What?" Tony handed JJ a plate with a burger on it, and she smiled in thanks and moved back towards the table. "Why would I do that?"

"Because," Clint threw up his hands. "You've gotta learn how to let your friends make their own decision, and you don't have much time to learn how to let go."

"You've been doing great so far," Steve added, when he saw where Clint was going. "But you've only been taking baby steps, and Graduation is in two months."

"I have plenty of time!" JJ protested squirting ketchup onto her burger. She looked up to catch Steve's doubtful expression, and she sighed. "Okay, fine," she admitted slowly, "I have a problem. But," She pointed at Steve. "You're son is acting squirrely again."

"Is it as bad as last time?" Thor leaned back warily.

"No." JJ rolled her eyes. "He's just a little self-conscious about his lack of future plans and acting out by being a bit more stubborn than usual, that's all." She made a face. "It just makes me nervous."

"Fine." Clint gave up. "Go to this party. But try to focus on having fun and not worry so much about mothering your friends."

JJ sighed, loudly and for a long time. But then she shrugged. "Okay."

Bucky clapped his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him with a frown. "I didn't have any parents when I was kid," She complained. "Now it feels like I have twelve dads."

"That's because you do," Bucky sympathized. "But…you only have one mom." He wined, and JJ smiled.

"And he's the best mom ever." She stood up to hug Bucky, then made her way towards the food table once more.

"Now. I have an hour or two before I need to leave…so enough sentimental advice crap! Let's stuff our faces and enjoy our freedom!" She raised a carrot and smiled at the Avengers.

"It's all smooth sailing from here."

* * *

 **The Party**

JJ didn't even reach the front door of the party before she was spotted.

"WHOO!" A guy she vaguely recognized pulled her into the house. "GUYS!" He yelled at the large group of bodies in the living room. "LOOK WHO'S HERE! IT'S JJ!"

"Hey!" JJ's classmates cheered and yelled out greetings, and JJ rolled her eyes.

"Finally!" Xander appeared at her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I've been waiting!" He kissed JJ's cheek, then frowned. "What took you so long?"

"The dad's showed up at my house and brought food." She grinned and patted her belly. "It would've been rude not to eat it."

"Right." Xander rolled his eyes. "Of course food made you late."

"Duh." JJ laughed. "What else would it be?" She wrapped an arm around Xander's waist. "Where is everybody?"

Xander made a face. "Forget about everybody else," he urged. "Dance with me."

JJ's arms slid around Xander's neck, a smile growing on her face. "Well," she teased, "How can I refuse that face?"

* * *

JJ took everyone's advice: her mom, who'd been urging her to live her own life since she was 15, her Dad, who didn't agree with her self-sacrificing attitude, and the slew of ex-superheroes who'd been hogging all her time while simultaneously telling her to get a life. But mostly she took Xander's advice: she forgot about everybody else – and just danced with her boyfriend.

Because of JJ's new change of attitude, she didn't realize until the party was almost over that while every other Super had made a point to say hello, she hadn't seen Aaron at all.

So it wasn't until the party was nearly over and the moon was high in the sky when she went to find him.

* * *

 ***Ominous music slowly begins to play in the back ground***

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	23. Bad Feelings

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 _Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall_

* * *

JJ found Aaron standing in the front yard, arms crossed, his body facing away from the party.

She took a deep breath, then approached him slowly, the way one would a spooked animal.

"Dude." She began, the crackle of the leaves underneath her feet ominously loud. "What's wrong with you?"

Aaron was silent for a long moment. He'd heard her, he just didn't want to answer.

But JJ waited patiently, shifting from one foot to the other. Her arms crossed and she shivered in the cold of the summer night. But still, she waited.

Finally, Aaron huffed and turned slightly to face her. "Nothing!" he said sullenly. Half of his face was in shadow, and he was careful not to make eye contact with JJ. "I just want to go home."

JJ blinked. "Fine," she finally agreed, not asking anymore questions. "We'll leave." She turned to the doorway. "I'll see who can give us a ride,"

"No!" Aaron interrupted angrily, going from sullen to agitated in seconds. "I want to leave," He repeated, his fists clenching, "but without you."

"So it's not the party." JJ realized. "You're not getting away from the party. You're getting away from me."

Aaron sighed heavily. "Just," He shook his head and turned his back to her. "Get out of my face, Jay."

"Fine." JJ said. "You wanna take my car? I'll just ride back with Xan."

JJ was holding out her keys, but Aaron was already shaking his head.

"No," He said, voice tight. "I can take care of my own ride." He jerked his head towards one of the many cars parked on the front grass.

JJ's eyes flickered over the silver sedan, the green jeep. She passed the blue subaru, and the black chevy. She stopped on the last car: a red, two door, blinding in color and dented everywhere.

JJ's sharp inhalation of breath caught Aaron's attention, and he turned to glare at her.

"Mitch is going to take me home." He snapped. "So as you can see, I'm clearly capable of taking care of myself. I'm going to go find him," He sighed, when JJ didn't seem to have heard him, her wide eyes still staring at the car. "I'm so done with tonight."

* * *

Aaron trudged back to where he'd left JJ, his hands in his pockets.

Now he felt bad. JJ was his friend, and yeah, sometimes she was overbearing, but she was just trying to look out for him. His anger was unnecessary, and his mood swings were confusing, even to him!

Why did he seem to take everything out on his best friend?

Maybe because she was such an easy target, Aaron mused. He really should apologize...

Except when he got back to where he'd left her, she wasn't there. A quick scan showed her leaning over Mitch's car, both of her hands pressed into the hood.

Her shoulders were shaking.

"JJ?" He asked slowly, taking a slow step towards his friend.

"You're not getting in this car." JJ's voice was tight, her sentence an order, and just like that, Aaron was on the defensive. Again.

"Excuse me?" He snapped, his arms crossing over his chest.

"You heard me Aaron," JJ whirled around her eyes bright with an emotion so scary that Aaron took a step back. "You are NOT getting in this car."

The order, repeated a second time, made Aaron see red.

"My GOD, JJ," He nearly screamed, throwing his hands into the air and taking an angry step forward, "could you just stop telling me what to do for, I dunno, TWO SECONDS? You don't always have to be my conscious!"

JJ's hands flew to her hair, and she growled. She paced for a few moments in front of Mitch's car.

"Okay." She nodded quickly. "I get that. I'm pushy, I like to mother you," She admitted freely. She stopped in front of Aaron, her eyes wide. She was near tears, but Aaron didn't care.

"Aaron," She pleaded, "that's not what this is." But Aaron was too far gone to listen to reason. He scoffed.

"Oh? So what is this then, if it's not you trying to tell me what to do?"

JJ blinked quickly, her mouth opening but no words coming out. Aaron took her silence as guilt, and he laughed incredulously.

"You just can't help yourself can you!" He yelled. "You just always have to tell me what to do, always trying to run my life-"

"I'm trying to SAVE your life!" JJ screamed back suddenly, and the tears started falling down her cheeks.

"Bullshit!" Aaron cursed loudly. "I can take care of myself!"

"Really?" JJ laughed hysterically, the tears still falling. "Do you even know where you left your jacket?" She goaded.

"Of course I do!" Aaron snapped, though he grabbed one forearm, to check that he wasn't wearing it.

"I'm gonna go get it right now!" He added before storming back into the house, so angry steam was almost coming out of his ears.

Mitch, the tall lanky red head and owner of the red vehicle stood a few feet away, eyes wide.

"Um," he said a little dumbly. "Dude."

He saw the tears in JJ's eyes...but he was way to high to deal with it, so he just smiled slowly at the pretty popular senior in front of him.

"I'm just," Mitch turned slightly. "I'm gonna say goodbye to some friends. Let Aaron know if he gets back before I'm done?" Mitch nodded once when JJ didn't answer. He really hadn't expected her to, anyway.

"Right. Ok." He hurried away, and JJ stared unseeing at the ground in front of her. Then she sighed heavily and pulled out her phone.

* * *

 **Mom?**

Bucky winked at his friends and stepped to the side of the patio, pulling out his phone.

"Bored already?" Bucky teased.

His smile dropped immediately at the sound of his daughters panicked voice. "Listen," JJ started, speaking quickly, "I need you to get in the car and start driving." Bucky turned slowly towards his friends, who snickered.

The snickers stopped when they saw the look on Bucky's face.

"Where am I going?" Bucky asked immediately. Because something was wrong, and his daughter needed him: So he was already reaching for his car keys.

JJ took a deep breath. "The party I'm at?" She mentioned. "Head that direction."

"I'm going to the party?" Bucky checked, dropping his drink on the table, ignoring the worried faces in front of him. "Is something wrong?"

"You're not going to the party." JJ paused. "You just need to head this way and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."

"But something's wrong?" Bucky pressed, growing more worried by the second.

JJ laughed a little hysterically, and Bucky's stomach dropped. "Not yet." she said cryptically.

"You're freaking me out," Bucky admitted, and the group in front of him nodded. They had no idea what was going on, but they were freaked out too.

"I'm freaking ME out!" She retorted quickly. "Just…get in the car. Right now."

"All right." Bucky agreed, throwing open the screen door. "I'm getting in the car."

Chairs crashed into the ground as the Avengers moved to follow Bucky as quickly as they were able.

"Bring them." JJ said bluntly at the noise, answering Bucky's next question before he could ask it. "We'll need them."

Bucky paused at the sliding glass door, suddenly understanding.

"Jay," He spoke lowly, "what do you know?"

"Nothing certain," JJ admitted. "I'm going to try and stop it, but," JJ laughed. Bucky could hear tears threatening, and his hands clenched, wishing for the first time that she would stop laughing.

Nothing about this was funny.

"You can't stop the inevitable," she finished, and Bucky had been with his child long enough to know that even though JJ believed what she was saying, that it wouldn't stop her from trying to stop whatever was about to happen. "There's going to be damage either way," She added softly after a moment.

"Who is in trouble?" Bucky asked quickly.

"I don't know yet." JJ answered. Her voice cracked and Bucky gestured towards the team.

"We're on our way now," he promised.

JJ was silent for a long moment, long enough for Bucky to grab the keys, the rest of the Avengers to pile in his vehicle, and for Bucky to start the car.

"Put Steve on the phone," JJ ordered suddenly, and responding immediately, Bucky threw the phone in Steve's lap. It took Steve a moment to put the phone to his ear.

"JJ?" Steve's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"You remember when Aaron's serum first started to activate?" JJ ignored the question to ask one of her own. "I made you a promise?"

"Yeah." Steve answered slowly, turning to shoot the Avengers seated behind him a confused look. They shrugged back, silent.

"You remember what that promise was?"

"You promised not to let anything happen to Aaron," Steve remembered. His breath caught.

"I'm going to keep that promise, Steve," JJ spoke quickly. "This is me, keeping that promise."

"What are you talking about?" Steve demanded. His hand reached out unconciously to grip the arm rest. "What's going on?"

"Tell my parents that I love them," She finished, her voice cracking.

"What?" Steve jerked to stare at Bucky, who was staring resolutely out the windshield.

His hand spasmed on the phone that he held close to his ear, the dial tone blaring loudly.

"Buck?" He finally spoke.

"Yes?" Bucky asked tightly.

"Drive faster." Bucky didn't answer, but he didn't have to. His foot pressing down on the gas was answer enough.

* * *

 **Crash**

Xander had seen JJ walk out of the house after Aaron, and he'd let her go.

It was just Aaron having another attitude problem, he figured. JJ could handle it.

But when Aaron came in still steaming, and without JJ, Xander's eyes had narrowed.

"Aaron?" Xander strode towards his friend, his fists clenching.

Because really. Enough was enough.

Aaron whirled towards Xander, growling. "You should keep your girlfriend on a shorter leash," he snapped, reaching over the couch to grab at his jacket.

"Whoa." Xander grabbed Aaron's arm, taken aback. "First of all, say that again, and I'll punch you so hard you lose six inches," He warned. "Of height." He clarified after a moment. Secondly, what is up with you? Where's JJ?"

"Who cares where precious JJ is?" Aaron snapped. "I'm outta here."

Aaron stormed away, and Xander shot a shocked look towards Stephen and Max, who had heard the whole conversation, their mouths open in surprise. Xander's eyes narrowed and he stomped after Aaron.

Max grinned and muttered "Fight!" under his breath, and Stephen huffed and shoved him towards the doorway, trying to keep up with Xander and Aaron.

* * *

Aaron stormed out of the front of the house, his anger dying suddenly.

Dude. What was wrong with him? JJ was his friend, and if she didn't think he should ride home with Mitch, she was probably right.

Mitch was totally drunk anyway.

But Aaron's change of heart was too late. By the time he'd reached the spot where he'd left JJ, she wasn't there anymore.

"So?" Xander appeared at Aaron's side. "Where is she?" He asked, scanning the front yard.

Xander and Aaron caught sight of JJ at the same time.

She was with Mitch; the two of them seated in Mitch's car, Mitch in the passenger seat chatting amiably enough.

JJ caught Aaron's eye. Then she gunned the engine and drove off.

Xander turned to Aaron. "Dude!" He snapped, gripping Aaron's shoulder. "What the Hell?"

Aaron didn't answer. The look in JJ's eyes had scared him into silence. Xander waited a few seconds, but Aaron still said nothing, and he growled.

"Dude! What is with tonight!" He whirled around and raised a hand to his mouth. "SUPERS!" He yelled. Stephen and Max were already watching with Marco, who'd joined them, and Rhiannon, Leila and Ben turned, eyebrows raised. "GET IN THE CAR." Xander roared. "WE'RE LEAVING."

"What?" Rhiannon shook her head, pouting. "Why?"

"Because my girlfriend just ditched me…with no explanation." Xander said, pointing a finger menacingly at the car.

"That's not like her," Marco grimaced.

"Exactly." Xander pulled out the keys. "That's why we're following her." Xander slowly turned towards Aaron, and poked him hard in the chest. "And YOU are going to explain what you did." He stormed towards his car, the other supers following quickly behind, not wanting Xander's wrath redirected at them. "Because it's obviously your fault!" Xander threw over his shoulder.

Aaron looked back at where JJ had just been, then meekly got into Xander's car. He really couldn't argue with what Xander had just said: This WAS his fault.

And anything else that was going to happen that night?

Well, those things would be his fault too.

* * *

Mitch was feeling great.

Maybe that had something to do with the gallons of beer rolling around in his otherwise empty belly, but JJ had a little bit to do with it.

Mitch wasn't the most popular guy in school, he mostly smoked by the dumpsters instead of going to class, but everyone at school knew JJ! She was super cool!

So her asking if she could get a ride home from him? That was awesome! Mitch was honored! He vaguely remembered offering someone else a ride, but they'd totally understand! This was JJ!

And then it got better!

JJ had probably noticed Mitch was a little over-lubricated, (because who WOULD'T notice?!) and she'd offered to drive!

How nice was that!?

Because honestly, Mitch was not in a good driving-mind-place.

They could've really gotten hurt if he drove.

So this was nice!

But Mitch did have to admit, JJ was a little weirder than he'd thought she'd be.

Like, what was up with her staring at his keys for so long after he'd handed them over? And what was with her dropping her palms to the hood of his car and closing her eyes for like, ever?

Like….what was that?

It was weird.

And then she looked up and she was real sad…almost crying sad.

But it's probably fine! Mitch assured himself.

Though…she did seem to be driving kind of slow...

* * *

"Why is she driving so slow?" Xander snapped, leaning over the steering wheel. He was a good fifteen feet away from the back of the car JJ was driving…she'd break like crazy whenever he got too close, so Xander hung back.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Xander turned suddenly and started hitting Aaron with one hand, holding tight to the steering wheel with the other.

"Nothing!" Aaron squeaked, trying to cover his head with his arms. "She just got really weird and started telling me how to live my life!"

"Well that's nothing new," Leila pointed out, leaning forward to poke Aaron. "That doesn't account for her freaking out and leaving us behind without even telling us," She added frankly.

Aaron grimaced. "She said she was trying to save my life or something," he admitted. "Whatever that means," he grumbled.

"Oh no." Marco's eyes widened, understanding immediately. "It's the feelings thing again."

"What?" It was Max's turn to reach both arms around either side of the seat in front of him and hit Aaron a few times. "JJ's FEELINGS NEVER LIE!" He snapped. "IF SHE WAS HAVING BAD FEELINGS YOU LISTEN TO HER. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO HER!" He punctuated every word with hits and jabs, and Aaron yelled in protest.

"Stop that!" He demanded. "She didn't say anything, she just touched the hood of the car and totally freaked."

"BECAUSE OF THE FEELINGS, STUPID." Rhiannon yelled from the back row. "She probably got a bad vibe from the car."

"Then why did she get in the car?" Aaron asked reasonably.

"So you wouldn't," Max grumbled, and the car went silent…because it made perfect sense.

"Something awful is going to happen to that car," Ben spoke slowly, "and you were going to get in it. In order to keep you from whatever awful thing is going to happen, she put herself in direct path of it."

"If she gets hurt," Xander bit out, breathing heavily, turning slightly to glare at Aaron, "I will end you."

The entire car was silent once more, only broken by Ben's loud scream.

"BRAKE!"

Xander slammed on his brakes, and the car skid to a stop.

And not a moment too soon, as a large tree came rolling down the hill on the left side of the road, the end of the trunk just barely missing the front of Xander's car.

But there was nowhere for the other car to go, and it was shoved off the road and over the side of the cliff…JJ and Mitch still inside.

* * *

Bucky sped around the curves and turns, not really looking for anything out of the ordinary…he was just driving, trying to get to JJ as quickly as possible. Luckily, Steve was scanning the passing scenery avidly.

"Look!" Steve pointed to the side of the road, and Bucky slowed down, squinting.

A large suburban was parked against the side of the road, it's head lights on and pointed down the cliff. A few people stood next to it, their focus seemingly on whatever was happening down the cliff.

"The guard rail is totally smashed through," Steve murmured. "A car must have driven off the edge."

Bucky's heart nearly stopped, and he pulled up near the guard rail. One of the bodies by the guard rail started running towards them, their arms waving madly, and the Avengers jumped out of the car.

"Stephen?" Tony called out, and the tall teen nearly collapsed in relief.

"What's going on?" Bucky asked urgently. "What happened?

Stephen took in deep gulps of air, trying to speak.

"Daddy!" Leila, face tear-streaked, ran forwards, collapsing into Clint, who wrapped his arms around his weeping daughter, and shot the others a bewildered look.

"Stephen." Steve ordered. "Tell us what happened."

"We were driving home from the party," Stephen found his voice and spoke quickly. "When a tree just rolled down the cliff," He pointed to the Cliff-side. "It just rolled right down," He shook his head. "Xander just barely missed it," His breathing picked up, "But the car in front of us had nowhere to go. The tree pushed it…It got pushed," Steven looked down, and he didn't need to finish.

"Xander, Max and the other guys went down," Ben jogged over, eyes wide and worried. "Rhi is talking to the police, an ambulance is on its way."

Bucky surveyed the scene in front of him, Rhiannon's face tear-stained but her voice calm as she spoke into her phone, Leila weeping into her father's chest. Ben and Stephen shared a look. Ben's face crumbled and he turned away.

Steven squared his shoulders and looked Bucky straight in the eye, as if preparing himself to give some bad news.

But Steven didn't have to say anything.

Bucky knew who had been in that other car. He turned and began to rush down the cliff. After a moment, he heard footsteps following, knowing that it must be Steve, but he didn't look back to make sure.

He needed to find his daughter.

* * *

 **Humpty Dumpty**

Mitch came to with a splitting headache. Groaning, he lifted a hand to his forehead, grimacing as it came away covered in blood. Thinking only of escape, Mitch reached for the door handle…but it didn't budge. He pushed against the door and wiggled the handle, but nothing worked. He sighed heavily, leaning back against the seat.

This headache of his was horrible. He felt like he'd been hit by a truck! Head rolling to the side, he opened his eyes to take in the drivers side.

Right. JJ was with him! His eyes snapped open all the way. JJ was in a bad way.

There was a huge sliver of glass stuck in her cheek, and her head was bleeding, in the same place he was. He leaned forward, her ear was also bleeding heavily, he saw. He took in the rest of her slowly, gaze freezing on her leg.

There was a tree…not like a whole tree, but a piece? A branch! There was a branch sticking out of JJ's thigh. It was dark, but Mitch could make out the blood surrounding the wound. Mitch looked up frantically, trying to find an escape route, but he couldn't find one.

They were surrounded by tree!

"My God," Mitch muttered, his voice raspy. "We're gonna die."

JJ chuckled lowly, and Mitch snapped his attention towards her face. She grimaced, opening her eyes slowly.

"We're not dead yet," She panted, slowly taking in what Mitch had already realized.

But JJ saw more than Mitch could. She tried to move, eyes widening in pain. A glance down showed her the tree branch she hadn't noticed right away.

"Mitch?" She asked.

"Yeah?" Mitch's gaze latched onto JJ, surrounded by tree and trapped in a bashed up vehicle, his shoulders relaxing and his breath huffing out in relief.

JJ would fix this, she always fixed everything.

"I know it looks freaky, but the part of the tree on the hood is just branches. This tree's been rolling more than we have, there should be enough room for you to climb between the branches to get out that way."

JJ blinked slowly. She was bleeding in too many places for her to concentrate fully.

"It'll be dark," She admitted. "But you CAN get out that way. Just," she paused, panting. "Just keep going straight."

Mitch nodded slowly. "Okay." He nodded again, more quickly. "Okay." He started to climb forward, then he paused.

"But," He squinted. "You're coming right?"

JJ smiled tightly. "Sure." She nodded, then grimaced. "Yep: I'm right behind you."

Mitch furrowed his brows. JJ rolled her eyes. "I promise," She said, and finally Mitch started moving.

* * *

JJ had been right.

It had been dark and creepy and scratchy, (JJ hadn't mentioned that part,) and it had felt like the tree would never end, but finally Mitch's hands were no longer meeting resistance, and he took a deep breath of fresh air moments later. He scrambled out of the tree and staggered a few feet away, turning back in shock.

His car was surrounded by tree.

The tree that had stopped their continued descent, the tree that was still standing, was what had kept Mitch's door from opening. The car was sandwiched between the still-rooted tree and the one that had pushed them off the cliff, and sometime during the descent, the rolling tree had broken, the top half crashing into the windshield.

That was the part of the tree that Mitch had just climbed through, that JJ was hopefully climbing through right then.

Mitch waited a few moments, for JJ to appear, but then something in the vehicle had exploded, and he'd panicked, stumbling up the hill as best he could.

He was nearly to the top when a group of people started rushing towards him. He gasped in relief when they ran towards him, two of them grabbing his arms to help him walk.

"JJ's still down there!" He yelled to the others. "She's been molested by a tree!"

It didn't make sense, the second part.

But the first part was what mattered, the first part was what had Xander, Aaron, and Max rushing down the hill.

"Come on Mitch," Marco grunted. "Let's get you back on the road, shall we?"

"And JJ will meet us there?" Mitch asked hopefully.

Marco grimaced at the question as well as at Mitch's weight.

"Let's hope so," He muttered.

* * *

The same sight that had shocked Mitch had the other three freezing.

"There's no way Mitch walked away from this crash," Max murmured.

"How are we even supposed to get to JJ?" Aaron whispered.

Xander's eyes narrowed, searching for some way, any way, to get past the tree.

That's when he saw the rustling.

He rushed closer, the other two following.

"JJ!" Xander yelled. "JJ!"

"Stop yelling at me!" The voice was faint, and filled with pain, but it was JJ. Xander nearly fell to the ground in relief. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Max pulled his phone out of his pocket, turning the flashlight on. He directed it towards the front of the car, slowly flashing it over the branches. Max paused when he saw a pale hand.

"Guys," He murmured, watching as another hand joined the first.

Aaron stumbled when JJ's head poked out of the brush. She squinted.

"Do I look that bad?" She asked.

"You look pretty bad," Xander admitted.

"I promise you," She grimaced, "I feel much worse than I look. Ah!" JJ shouted in pain, and the three took a few more steps forward. Xander reached for her hands, intending to pull her out, but she shouted for him to stop.

"My leg," She panted, "It's not doing so hot, and crashing through these branches with it is not ideal. I've gotta do this slow," She coughed heavily, "if I want to keep this leg, anyway."

"Well," Max sniffed deeply, eyes widening. "Ah- Take your time. But not too much time."

"Ah." JJ grunted, more of her torso appearing. "You caught that gasoline smell, didn't you?"

"The car's going to explode?" Aaron's eyes widened.

"And the best part?" JJ whimpered. "It's surrounded by free firewood."

"Stop talking and focus and getting out of there." Xander demanded.

JJ huffed, but did as he ordered.

* * *

It took longer than any of them would've liked, but JJ was eventually free from the tree, and before she fell to the ground, Xander and Aaron were there to catch her.

"Oh my God." Aaron stared down in horror at her right leg, at the branch that was sticking out. "You really did get molested by a tree."

JJ coughed, then grunted. "Well. There is a tree inside me." She spasmed, and Max made a face. She must've been in terrible pain, and yet still trying to make everyone feel at ease. "And I definitely don't want it there," she finished.

"We need to go." Max spoke up.

"How do we move her?" Xander snapped. "There's a branch in her leg."

"Really?" Aaron's eyes widened, sarcasm dripping. "How did we miss that?"

"Shut up Aaron," Max stepped forward, taking charge quickly, because he was surrounded by children. He squared his shoulders and spoke confidently. "Any way we move her is going to cause her pain, but we've gotta get out of here before the car blows. JJ," Max smiled apologetically, and JJ shrugged in understanding, then grimaced. "I need you to wrap your arms around Aaron's and Xander's shoulders. They're going to put their hands on you back and under your knee."

"Two person carry." JJ nodded slowly. "Got it."

Max turned to Xander and Aaron. "Walk together," He demanded. "The better you can work with each other the less pain she'll be in. Understand?"

Both boys nodded, and Max turned back to JJ who cried out when they boys lifted her.

Xander, Aaron and Max moved as quickly as they could…but it wasn't quickly enough.

* * *

When the car exploded and debris went falling, the teenagers were right in the line of fire.

A tree branch hit Xander in the head and he fell to the ground unconscious. Aaron was able to keep JJ upright, but only for a moment before he was hit by something heavy and he too went flying. Aaron's head was tilted so that he could still see JJ, and he saw her fall, the ground jamming the tree branch even deeper into her leg. JJ screamed and Aaron shoved, trying to stand underneath the weight of whatever held him down, but it was too heavy. Aaron noticed that JJ's fall had forced the tree branch clean through the other side of her leg, and he gagged at the sight.

Burning debris began falling around him, a large chunk of it landing right on JJ's back. She screamed again, Aaron shoved again, and finally he was able to get out from underneath what had pinned him.

Half of the car had stopped Aaron from getting to JJ, he realized. That's why it had been so heavy. He shook his head, then scrambled over to JJ.

He reached her as the same time as Bucky did, and the two of them did their best to throw up the burning debris, but the fire had been sitting long enough to burn through her clothes and leave terrible burns all down her back.

JJ whimpered, too exhausted too scream anymore.

"Baby girl," Bucky muttered, horrified at her numerous wounds.

"Momma," JJ whispered. Suddenly her head lolled and she went limp.

"She passed out." Steve slid to Bucky's side, shaking his head grimly. "I don't know how she was strong enough not to before." He turned to Aaron. "Where are the others?"

"Xander got hit in the back of the head," Aaron rose. "I don't know where Max,"

"Over here!" Max wave a hand a few feet away. "I've got Xander too, but he's unconscious. I'm going to need some help."

Steve looked down at his son. "Help Bucky." He ordered. "I'll get Xander."

Aaron nodded and turned to Bucky, who stared at his daughter, frozen.

"We need to get her help," He said quietly. Bucky nodded stiffly, and slid his arms underneath her armpits.

Aaron grabbed her at the knees, doing his best not to jostle her leg further. He nodded once at Bucky, and the two of them made their way up the hill.

* * *

It was slow going, and JJ remained unconscious during the trek, though she whimpered every so often. By the time Bucky and Aaron made it to the top, both of them were panting and exhausted, but relieved to see an ambulance waited, lights blaring. Three medics came running towards Bucky and Aaron, a gurney being pushed between them. The three of them paused in surprise when they got close enough to see the full damage.

"My God," One of the medics muttered in shock, and another Medic shushed him.

"She's got burns…on her back," Aaron stuttered, trying to tell them, trying to let them know, "And…and her leg,"

"We've got it kid," One of the Medics pushed Aaron away and took his spot, looking to Bucky. "Can you help me get her on the gurney?"

"But," Bucky frowned, confused. "Her burns?"

"The sheet's covered in burn medication," The Medic promised. "Her leg's the priority right now."

Bucky nodded tightly. "On three?" He asked.

Instead of answering, the medic simply began to count down. "One, two three." On three, the medic and Bucky moved in sync to heft JJ onto the gurney.

JJ screamed, long and loud at the motion, and Bucky winced, taking a few steps back. The medics wasted no time, lifting the gurney into the back of the ambulance, the doors to the ambulance closed with a loud thud.

"Wait!" Bucky said panicked at losing sight of his kid.

The last medic placed a hand on Bucky's chest, keeping him from moving towards the ambulance. "There's not enough room in there for you," He spoke loudly, with authority, and Bucky had no choice but to listen. "They're taking her to St. Peter's, it's the closest hospital and one of the best. One of your friends is going to drive you there, and another," The medic turned to take in the rest of the group.

Without the ambulance sirens, the side of the road was strangely quiet, except for the loud voice of the medic, "Another adult is going to drive the kids who aren't injured. I'll look over the other injuries while we wait for the second ambulance to arrive; it's on its way and should be here in a few minutes." The medic paused, taking in the faces around him. His voice lowered. "Your main focus right now is getting to that hospital. Mine is taking care of those four." He jerked his head towards the four swaying teens covered in ash, some of them bleeding. "Figure out the ride situation and drive slowly," he cautioned, looking at the adults, "You're going to just be waiting while the doctors work on her, you don't want to rush and force them to switch their focus to you."

Steve and the other Avengers nodded, and the medic smiled slightly. "Good. You four, come sit over here," As the medic turned his attention to a dazed Aaron, Xander, Max, and Mitch, Steve turned to Bucky, who just blinked blankly at him.

Steve took a deep breath and did his best to get into crisis mode.

He'd been in crisis mode for the last twelve years. The switch should've been easy. But this was a different kind of crisis, one with very different rules. Steve was silent for a long moment, and then he straightened his shoulders.

His friends? His kid? Bucky? They needed him to take charge.

And he'd never lost his ability to do that.

* * *

"Bruce," Bruce appeared at Steve's side, "You drive the suburban, get the kids who aren't hurt to the hospital. Take Clint with you. Bruce nodded, and Clint, still holding onto Leila but now with his other arm wrapped around a weeping Rhiannon, slowly began moving the girls back into the vehicle. Marco and Ben followed slowly.

Steve turned to Bucky. "Get in the car," Steve ordered lightly. "We'll go to the hospital and wait for news."

Bucky nodded dumbly and moved to the car. Steve nodded at the others, and Thor and Tony did the same.

Steve turned back to Bruce. "Call Dean and John," He murmured. "See if they can get to the hospital before the ambulance arrives. I'd rather trust them with JJ's life then someone I don't know," he added.

"Got it," Bruce agreed, hurrying towards the suburban.

"They'll be taken to the same hospital?" Steve asked the medic, who nodded.

"St. Patricks, the best place to be," The medic shrugged. "You should go, I've got these guys." Steve looked at the boys seated on the side of the road, one of them his son, and then nodded.

"I'll see you at the hospital, son," he promised. Aaron nodded dumbly. Steve grimaced and moved to the car, sliding into the driver's seat.

* * *

The vehicle was entirely silent for the first ten minutes.

Then Steve started issuing more orders.

"Tony, call Pepper. Tell her to get ahold of Nicole and Jane, make sure they know the hospital. See if She can watch the kids, and get the women to the hospital, we could use the help." Tony nodded, phone already in hand.

"And Thor?" Steve winced, shaking his head slowly.

Thor looked up, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Loki," He whispered, and Steve nodded.

"Yeah." Steve said lowly. He opened his mouth to ask what the best way to reach him, but someone else spoke first.

"He has a phone," Bucky spoke up suddenly. "He doesn't like to broadcast that he has one, and he only ever uses it to get ahold of me or.." Bucky gulped and didn't finish his sentence. "It's the best way to…to get ahold of him." Bucky pulled out his phone, his fingers shaking as he pressed the buttons. The phone started ringing.

"Hello?" Loki's voice was uncertain, suspicious, but it wasn't worried.

Bucky grimaced and shoved the phone at Thor, turning his face away.

Thor took the phone reluctantly, turning off the speaker. "Brother," He greeted.

"Thor?" Loki sounded taken aback. "Why do you have James' phone?" Loki paused. "Is something wrong?"

"There has been an accident," Thor started, but Loki interrupted him.

"James? What happened?" Loki's voice took on a panicked expression. "Is he alright?"

"It is not Bucky," Thor choked.

Loki was silent for a long moment. "JJ?" He asked, his voice breaking.

"There was a car accident," Thor tried to explain. "She's headed to the hospital right now, but you need to get here," Thor took a deep breath. "You need to get here now."

"I'm on my way." Loki bit out, and then Thor heard only the dial tone. He pulled the phone away from his ear.

"He's on his way." Thor commented.

Bucky's head fell to his lap and he let out an involuntary sob, his shoulders shaking.

The vehicle was quiet the rest of the ride.

* * *

 _Humpty Dumpty had a great fall_

* * *

 ***Ominous Music gets louder***

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	24. Humpty Dumpty

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 _All the King's horses…_

* * *

"Hello Dr. Watson! Will you be joining us in Emergency today?"

"Yes." John bypassed the nurse to reach for a pair of scrubs. "I'll be heading the landslide ambulances. Have you gotten the information ready for me?"

"Yes sir." The nurse fumbled with her papers. "AMB 2 is en route ETA 15 minutes, with two level twos, one level three, and one level four. AMB 1 is en route ETA 5 minutes and it's a level," the nurse's eyes widened. "9, sir."

John grimaced. He'd been hoping for a five, or at worst, a 7.

"We have a team downstairs?" He asked, and the nurse nodded. "No credentials, but we have a group of residents."

"I'm on my way down now." Dean Singer appeared at Johns side, face flushed and hair tousled. "I'll bring her up." His eyebrows narrowed. "We dealing with a five?" John grimaced. "Seven?" Dean's voice wavered.

"Nine." The flush in Dean's cheeks drained, leaving Dean looking painfully pale.

"No." John said harshly. "She needs your best. If you can't handle this,"

"I can." Dean nodded. "I can." He promised. He squeezed John's shoulder, trying to convey everything he was feeling; the panic, the fear.

John nodded as if he understood, and Dean didn't waste another moment, rushing downstairs as if he were being chased by a pack of Hellhounds.

* * *

John prepared surgery one while he waited, unsure of what would come in through those doors.

And when the doors slammed open and JJ's screams of pain filled the room and John finally caught sight of all of the injuries she'd sustained, he choked.

"No time, Johnny boy!" Dean pushed the bed in, eyes wide. "Stay with me!"

"Right." John moved so the bed could fit, adjusting his gloves and moving to one side of the bed, Dean on the other.

It was a horrifying sight. JJ's screams were relentless, only pausing to allow for gasps of air that would enable her to continue screaming.

It was understandable, John thought, with the trauma her body was facing.

"Her backs a scorch mark," Dean addressed, "Third degree, bordering on fourth. If we don't take action now…"

"Leg first!" another doctor snapped. "The branch dividing her thigh has to be taken out!"

"We can't take it out," Dean snapped. "You do and she dies of blood loss."

"We don't and she loses the leg!"

"Watson, this glass in her cheek, we remove it and I'm afraid half the skin on her face is falling off.

"The left ear is partially detached, I can reattach it, but the odds of her ever hearing again are minimal, and the pain will be intense. Do we reattach or leave her holey?"

"Doc, these burns!"

"Her leg!"

* * *

John closed his eyes. JJ's screams, his teams arguing, it was a ceaseless drumming of noise that left him nearly unable to function, and he'd conducted surgeries in the middle of a battlefield.

But that had been years ago.

And none of them had been JJ.

John's eyes snapped open.

"Get the burn team ready," he ordered, and a nurse ran off to do his bidding.

"But her leg,"

"We're removing the branch." Winchester and the other doctor shared a look, but didn't argue. "I'll need two nurses on hand to put pressure down as soon as the branch is removed. It looks like the EMT put a makeshift tourniquet on already, we'll leave it. We're going to have to reposition her on her side, leaving her head tilted for best ear access. We'll have to work sideways, but right now, her injuries can't wait. Ready?"

Three doctors and four nurses lifted JJ's battered body and twisted it. As soon as she was finally in the desired position, the Anesthesiologist went to work. After a few moments, JJ was silenced. A resident began taking care of her ear, while another worked on her face. The other doctor in the room began to prep her leg for removal of the object, and a small team bustled in, muttering out loud about the best way to treat JJ's wounds outside of the burn ward.

"John," Dean spoke quietly during a lull. "Even with all of this - the burns alone could kill her. The odds that she survives,"

"I don't want the odds, Singer!" John snapped. "I want you putting her back together." He shot the unconscious JJ a look. "She'll do the rest."

"Will she?" Dean shook his head. "There are too many pieces, John. You have to accept,"

"I accept nothing." John hissed. Dean searched his colleague's eyes, then he nodded.

"you're right," he conceded. "Jay's a fighter."

"And we don't stop until she does." John added.

Dean nodded. "We don't stop until she does," He repeated.

John nodded. "Right. Let's go."

* * *

 _And all the King's Men…_

* * *

"Prep for AMB two!" A nurse called out into the bustling ER. "Three spaces stat!"

The sliding front doors to the hospital slid open, three wheelchairs being pushed through.

Half of the waiting room rose, saying nothing as they watched the wheelchairs being pushed through the doors that led to the ER.

One of the medics peeled away from the group to address the standing family.

"All four boys are suffering from shock and fatigue, and they'll be admitted for overnight observation." The medic spoke quickly and efficiently. "Fortunately, there are no serious injuries among the boys. Mitch Crawford,"

A timid older lady stepped forward, clutching a worn handbag tightly to her chest. "I'm – she shot the rest of the group a wary look. "I'm his mom."

"Mitch has a couple of cuts and a lot of bruises, and he took a really hard hit to the noggin. We've gotta stitch up a few of the cuts, but he'll live."

The woman sagged in relief. "I – I can see my boy?" she asked, tears filling her eyes. The medic nodded.

"As soon as he's been settled in a room," he promised, "I'll take you back personally."

The woman smiled tremulously and stepped out of the way.

"Max Watson –" the medic paused, and Sherlock stepped forward.

"His father's a doctor," He rasped, dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. "He's in surgery right now. I'm listed as Max's emergency."

The medic nodded. "Max is the least injured of the group, he has a few burns and a couple of cuts, but he's pretty shaken up. We're admitting him to make sure we didn't miss anything." Sherlock nodded.

"Xander Odinson and Aaron Rogers?" Steve and Thor stepped forward. "Xander was knocked unconscious which leads us to believe he's got a concussion: mandatory overnight observation. Aaron lifted half of a car off of him with what appears to be a broken arm. Both arms are extremely weak and he has a very serious burn on his lower stomach. All three boys will be placed in the same room, and when they've been settled and their injuries dealt with, a nurse will take you to see them."

"And JJ?" Rhiannon blurt out. Tears fell down her face, unbidden. "Nobody will tell us anything."

The medic grimaced. "Her injuries are very serious." He admitted. "It'll take some time to check on all of them," he raised a hand, "But I'll go see if I can get an update."

"Thank you." Steve nodded, and the medic shrugged.

"This isn't where a group of seniors should be spending a Friday night." Was all the medic said before he disappeared behind the double doors.

* * *

It was an hour later that the large group was allowed to check on the boys.

They'd been given no news of JJ.

Everyone pushed that worrying thought away as they stepped into the room.

"Xan!" Rhiannon rushed to her brothers bed, reaching out to clasp a hand the second she got close. His head was wrapped with white gauze and he seemed dazed.

"Rhi," he greeted slowly, eyebrows furrowed. "Dad," he added, a second before Thor was at his other side, patting him down.

Xander blinked a few times, considering the question.

Sherlock moved to Max's side, where the other kids had congregated.

"How's the head?" He asked brusquely.

Max shrugged. He hadn't been hit as hard as Xander, he seemed more there. "Is Dad on duty?"

Sherlock nodded tightly. "He's in surgery with Singer. I'm sure he'll be in a soon as he's able – "

But Max waved away Sherlock's platitudes. "He's where he needs to be right now," He shrugged, turning to the rest of his friends. "How are you guys? You're okay?"

This was the tipping point for Leila, who burrowed her face into Ben's chest and started sobbing. Ben just wrapped both of his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her hair. Marco and Stephen stood next to each other, leaning numbly against the wall. Tony squeezed past Ben and Leila to reach the boys, pulling one of them under each arm, wishing that Pepper hadn't volunteered to stay with the twins, Luka, and Nikki.

Xander's face scrunched up in confusion as he watched his friends lose control.

And all of a sudden Xander was shoving his blankets aside and reaching for the third bed in the room, growling.

Thor and Steve each had to grab an arm and shove Xander back against his pillows, and still, he fought against the restraints.

"Xander, cease!" Thor ordered.

"It's all your fault!" Xander screamed at the third bed – at Aaron. "You and you're stupid tantrums!"

"Of course!" Aaron spat back, his hands fisted in his sheets, his eyes bright. "It's always my fault, it's never JJ's! Because she doesn't make her own choices, and sometimes they're bad ones!"

Xanders' struggles renewed, and Thor and Steve wrestled to keep the teen to his own bed, and Aaron continued, his voice less angry, and more pleading.

"I sincerely believe JJ can never do the wrong thing; but she's always put our needs before her own, you know that right? It's both her worst and best trait. And tonight: she proved it." Aaron looked away from Xander, to the man in the corner of the room, barely holding it together.

"I was supposed to be in that car, Mr. Barnes." Aaron's lip trembled. "Mitch was supposed to drive me home, I wanted to leave early and I was tired of everybody." He shook his head. "I knew Mitch was drunk," he admitted. "But I just didn't care. JJ told me not to get in the car. She told me to get inside and I just got so tired of her always being right, and me being the one who was wrong…and I didn't listen to her." Aaron's head fell and his shoulders started to shake.

Bucky stared unblinking at the crying teen, his face expressionless.

"She knew something bad was going to happen with that car." Max continued. "She could always feel things; you know? She just usually didn't make a big deal about things; let life unfold naturally unless there was a crisis, or it had something to do with Aaron."

"Sorry Xan," Rhi spoke up dryly, "but Aaron has always been her favorite person."

Xan huffed. "I was working on fixing that," he admitted. "But we weren't there yet."

"The rulebook goes out the window when it's Aaron on the line." Marco added.

"Aaron was going to get in a cursed car…and the only way to stop him was to get in it herself." Steve realized slowly.

"No matter what, this night was going to end here, with someone fighting for their life." Bucky tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a sob. "My girl just made sure the only person at risk was herself."

The room fell silent.

"But…" Aaron looked up, his face tear streaked. "JJ, she's the strongest person I know. She's going to be fine…right?" Steve shared a serious look with the other adults, but before he could think of what to say, a new voice rang out from the doorway.

"Will she?" Loki seemed to not know how to deal with the group in front of him, face apprehensive. "Will she be – fine, then?"

"Brother," Thor moved from his son's bedside the moment Loki entered the room. "I did not think you would get here so quickly."

"Quickly?" Loki snapped. "You tell me my daughter's been injured and you what? Thought I'd take my time?" His gaze took in the hospital room in a moment, the three injured boys, the frantic parents, the distraught and weeping teenagers, and Loki's gaze focused in on Bucky.

"Are you all right?" Loki asked suddenly, his focus on Bucky, who had seemed to curl in on himself, standing in a corner of the room.

Bucky shuddered and slowly straightened. His eyes were hooded, his face blank.

"No," Bucky finally rasped. "I'm not okay."

A look of terror crossed over Loki's face, and the footsteps of yet another person had Loki whirling around.

* * *

Loki locked gazes with John Watson, whose white coat was splattered with blood.

"Where is my daughter?" Loki asked.

John's jaw tightened and he shifted, as if bracing for a blow.

"I'm so sorry," He began.

His voice broke, and he couldn't finish.

He didn't have to.

Loki turned away, blinking quickly.

Bucky slid to the floor, his legs no longer capable of holding him upright.

No one moved, too shocked, too stunned, to do anything.

JJ couldn't be gone.

She just...couldn't be.

* * *

 _Couldn't put Humpty together again._

* * *

 **Rough.**

 **Next Chapter up in a mo!**

 **REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE?**

 **~CLC~**


	25. Horses and Men

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **#1 Denial**

"No." Loki's voice was light, his face impassive. "No." He shook his head slightly. He looked away from Bucky, from the wilted, broken parent. When Loki wasn't looking at Bucky, it felt less real. He turned to Thor, who looked just as shattered, and Loki's eyes widened. "No," He said for the third time, a little more frantically. "It can't – she can't – No, Thor." Loki took two steps forward, his hands coming up to grasp Thor's forearms tightly…bruisingly. "She's fine."

"Loki," Steve took a step forward, raising his arm to touch Loki consolingly, but Loki stepped out of Steve's reach. "I can't imagine the pain you must be going through right now," Steve tried again, but Loki hissed.

"SHUT UP." He demanded. He whirled towards John, who stood numbly in the doorway, his white coat spattered with blood: with JJ's blood.

"You." He pointed. "You're lying."

John didn't say anything.

He didn't have to, really. But Loki was so deep into denial, that he could ignore the man's obvious sorrow.

"It's not POSSIBLE." He snapped. "My girl is fine. She's too strong to be taken out by anything on this stupid planet. She's fine," Loki strode forward, poking John in the chest. "And you're going to take me to her."

"No." John licked his lips, trying to speak. "No, her body isn't,"

"STOP." Loki shook his head wildly. "I won't have you speaking about her like that!"

"Like what, Loki?" Bucky spoke up, and Loki purposely looked away from him. Bucky grabbed Loki by the arms, forcing the man to face him, to look at him. "Like she's dead?" Loki's entire body trembled, and he tried to wrench himself out of Bucky's grip, but Bucky wasn't moving.

"You know the truth, Loki." Bucky demanded. "Stop denying it. Face it. FACE it." Loki slumped suddenly, all of the fight leaving his body.

The only reason he remained standing was because Bucky still held him by his arms.

* * *

The rest of the room watched, tears in their eyes, as the two fathers interacted with each other; as they acknowledged the truth.

"She's gone, Loki." Bucky's chin quivered, and he opened his mouth to repeat himself, because even though he was forcing Loki to face the truth, He was still having trouble himself.

"She's gone."

* * *

 **#2 Anger**

"How does this happen?" Steve murmured suddenly, breaking the silence in the room and reminding Bucky and Loki that they weren't alone.

Loki didn't startle, but something in Bucky snapped.

"Yeah," He agreed, eyebrows furrowing. "How DOES this happen?" He pushed Loki away from him, turning to JJ's friends, to the ones who were banged up but still breathing. "Care to explain?" He asked icily.

Most of the kids dropped their gazes, but Xander slowly turned his head until he was glaring at the bed in the middle, at Aaron…who was staring straight back at Bucky, eyes wide, and filled with apology.

"It's my fault." He rasped into the silent room.

"No," Nicole began immediately, trying to take a step forward, but Steve held his arm up, shaking his head slowly at his wife.

"You?" Loki shot a dark look at Aaron. "It's your fault? Really? The son of living Saint Rogers," Loki spat. "You killed my daughter?"

"I didn't," Aaron started, but Xander interrupted him, his face tight.

"This is about Aaron, it's ALWAYS about Aaron," he spat. "His growth spurt, his attitude problem, his position, and of course, nothing is his fault! It's always somebody else's fault, most of the time JJ's." Xander laughed, high and hysterical. "You didn't kill JJ, maybe not. But you sure as hell could've stopped it!"

"That's a little harsh, Xan," Rhiannon spoke up softly, but Marco shook his head.

"Maybe not. I mean," He shot a look around the room. "Why did JJ get in that stupid vehicle?"

"To stop me from getting in," Aaron admitted. "I was gonna ride back with Mike, and she tried to tell me not to,"

"But you were going to do it anyway?" Steven guessed. "What's wrong with you?! You know you should always trust JJ!"

"Right!" Aaron threw his hands in the air, wincing when it made something hurt. "Because JJ's always right! Because SHE can never do anything wrong! Because she's so perfect and smart and all-knowing, she practically predicted that this was going to happen! Newsflash, guys! JJ can't see into the future."

"But she can sense it." Bucky's voice had the teens falling into silence. "Not people, they're too much. But objects, things she touches, she can sense the intentions, the potential." His eyebrows furrowed. "She never told you?"

"No." Aaron snorted. "But she didn't tell us a lot of things."

"We could tell though." Max shot Aaron a confused look. "It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention. She would randomly get feelings or vibes, and suggest things, and her suggestions were always spot on, always beneficial. Always." Max shook his head, grimacing at the pain the gesture brought. "You should've listened to her, Aaron."

"I'm tired of doing everything she says." Aaron spit out, face red. "I'm going to make my own choices."

"Oh?" Leila glared at Aaron through her tears. "Like you did tonight, you mean? When you're best friend DIED? God Aaron, when are you going to realize that not everything's about you?"

"JJ wasn't just your best friend," Ben spoke up, his voice frostier than anyone had ever heard it. "She was a best friend to all of us."

"Your stupid choices took her from us." Marco spat. "This is all your fault!"

"So." Loki interrupted the teens angry tirade, his voice so monotone, such a contrast from the emotion-filled arguments previously waged through the room that everyone went silent. "You DID murder my daughter then."

"I," Aaron looked at his mom for support, but she stood in the corner of the room, eyes wide as tears spilled down her cheeks, one hand clasped tightly over her mouth. Aaron looked up at his father, who stared at his son as if he'd never seen him before.

Aaron wilted. "I'm so sorry!" He burst out. "I should've listened!"

"Should've!" Xander nearly screamed.

"It's a little late for apologies," Leila snapped, and the rest of the room broke into loud arguments the anger and rage nearly tangible in the room, voices raising and faces flushing, and Max watched for a moment, utterly bewildered, before he did something he'd never done before in his life.

He yelled at his friends.

"That…iS ENOUGH!" He roared, and the pandemonium ceased instantly. "Fighting is going to help nothing!" He snapped at his friends, at their parents. "And to be quite honest, this is the very LAST thing JJ would want! She's gone, but we're not, and the best way to honor her is to stop acting like five year old children and making more issues amongst ourselves! I mean," Max wiped a hand across his face. "You've got to be kidding me. Just…chill out."

The adults looked shamefaced, the children moderately less so, still shooting each other glares out of the corners of their eyes.

"You're right." Steve finally admitted. "We should be more productive with our time."

"Like…what?" Tony snorted. "The kid isn't breathing, there's not really anything we could do now to fix her."

"Unless," Max spoke up slowly, eyes brightening as if a thought had just occurred to him. He turned to Loki, and to Thor. "Can't you just fix her?"

* * *

 **#3 Bargaining**

The two brothers shared a look.

"It does not work like that, magic," Thor began, but Sherlock interrupted him.

"I wasn't aware you were the leading expert on Magic," Sherlock raised an eyebrow. Thor's mouth tightened.

"I am not." He agreed. "But I am more knowledgeable than you, aren't I? Humans aren't capable of channeling any form of magic. The Captain, perhaps," Thor nodded at Steve, "I, at least, am capable of potentially using magic."

"Since when?" Tony crossed her arms.

"Since…forever." Thor hedged. "Anyhow, this is off topic. Magic cannot help JJ."

"Says you." Steve shook his head. "But I highly doubt that YOU should be the one talking." He turned to Loki, whose eyes were wide, calculating.

Bucky whirled towards Loki, eyes bright with hope. "Could you?" He asked, his voice raspy. "Is that," He cleared his throat. "IS that something you could do? You can do amazing things…can't this be one of them?"

Loki opened his mouth, hesitating. "I," He shook his head. "Asgardians heal from wounds much worse than those JJ has received, this is true, but," he stressed the last word, "As Thor has said, Asgardians also have a well of inner magic inside of them that aids their healing process tremendously. JJ has no percentage of Asgardian in her."

"Bull." Bucky grabbed onto Loki's shirt. "Bullshit. You've been dosing her food with something. What was the point of that if it wasn't supposed to help her?"

"You've been drugging JJ?" Nicole finally stepped away from her sons bed. "Why would you do that?"

"What have you been drugging her with?" Steve added.

Loki shook his head. "Barnes," He said seriously. "I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"STOP IT!" Bucky shook Loki angrily. "Just…STOP trying to trick me with your politically correct phrases, we all know how good you are at talking without saying anything!" Bucky used the grip he had on Loki's shirt to pull him close, till their faces were inches apart.

"This is me, Loki," Bucky said lowly, pleadingly. "I know you. I know that this is what you do when you're upset, but please," he shook his head. "Don't play me right now. JJ…Our daughter is dead." Bucky looked away, blinking as fast as he could to stop the tears, but it didn't help. "My girl is gone…and if you can fix her, if what you did will fix her? Well." Bucky half-laughed, half-sobbed. "Please, Loki."

"Very well!" Loki spoke lowly, hesitantly. "I admit it: I've been dosing Justice with small amounts of magic since she was a child. At first, it was only to be able to track her if she were ever to be kidnapped."

"Yeah, because that's not paranoid." Max joked. Loki shot him a lethal glare.

"I am a foreign dignitary." He said frostily. "A wealthy one, I might add. Her kidnapping was a more reasonable worry than you'd think."

"Oh," Max said after a moment. "Sorry, please continue."

Loki rolled his eyes. "When she was younger it was simply to introduce her body to the feel of it. But then, to my surprise, the magic began to fuse with her. So," Loki paused for a moment, "I continued feeding her traces. Not enough for her to notice, but enough that those daily doses built up."

"So she has magic in her?" Rhiannon started to smile. "So she has that weird, Asgardian healing thing you were talking about? You can fix her?"

"I can't," Loki said regretfully. "Once she moved to Midgard full time, I was unable to continue routinely dosing her. She does have a buildup of magic in her, but not enough to manifest, not enough that would be actually useful."

Loki looked at Bucky. "I am so sorry. But if the magic could've helped her, it would've before her heart had stopped beating. She's really, truly gone."

* * *

 **#4 Depression**

The room fell into an awkward silence.

Leila was seated in the only chair, one hand tightly clasped by a pale faced Marco, her face buried in Ben's shoulder, who patted her back slowly. He looked at Max, who had one hand over his mouth, his eyes wide, unblinking. Stephen gripped Max's shoulder, as if his friend was the only thing holding him upright.

Stephen's other hand was gripping the sheets of Xanders bed tightly, his knuckles white, and Xander clung to the cuff of Stephens plaid shirt, though his gaze was on his sister, who'd collapsed at the foot of his bed, the tears falling down her face freely, her lip trembling. Sherlock stood next to her, his hand on the back of her neck and his face blank. He twitched when a hand touched his elbow lightly, surprised when it was Clint standing in front of him, holding out a tissue.

Sherlock took it stiffly and handed it to Rhiannon, and instead of stepping back, Clint's grip on Sherlock's elbow tightened, and though he wouldn't admit it, Sherlock felt a little bit stronger. He looked over at the third bed in the room, where Aaron sat up, his mom crying all over his shoulder and his dad standing awkwardly behind her, staring uncertainly at his son, one hand gripping Bucky's arm tightly, as if afraid the man would bolt.

Bucky, for his part, seemed incapable of moving. One of his fists was still clenched in Loki's shirt, and Loki had covered the fist with one of his hands, though he didn't try to move it. Thor stood in the corner of the room, behind his brother, arms crossed, head downcast.

He sniffled, but no one called him out on it.

Hours and days could've passed, and that room wouldn't have noticed, each person connected to someone else by way of hand or clothing.

The grief was tangible in the room, so thick they nearly choked on it, and John, both hands clasped on either side of the doorway, listened to the thrum of the busy hospital hit his back, the silence of the room blasting onto his front, and his chin fell to his chest.

Steve wanted to move, to make an attempt to break the silence, but he found that he couldn't. He didn't have the strength.

Thor watched from his corner with a grimace, worried. Because death was a clever foe and knew it could cripple a thousand simply with the death of one.

This room? Filled with people crippled by grief and carrying broken hearts?

This was only the beginning.

And then Rhiannon lifted her head and stood up.

* * *

 **#5 Acceptance**

The sudden movement was such a contrast to the stillness of before that she caught everyone's attention before she'd even spoke. She wiped the tears from her face, and cleared her throat, and her eyes flashed.

"Guys." She straightened her shoulders, ignoring the adults for the moment to face her friends. "JJ wouldn't want us to be upset. If she were here right now she'd be chewing all of us out."

Max smiled. "You're right," he agreed. "She'd be telling us to "rub some dirt in it". She'd stand there with her hands on her hips and glare at us, and we'd all apologize immediately."

"Because as much as we hate to admit it, she was definitely the boss." Marco added with a slight grin.

"We can't go back." Stephen added slowly. "What matters now is what you do next."

"God, I hated it whenever she used to say that," Leila admitted, tugging on the end of her hair, a gesture the teens didn't miss.

"Like when you tried to dye your hair red?" Rhiannon teased.

"And that was the worst decision I'd ever made," Leila chuckled. "It was all sorts of wrong!"

"But she helped you fix it," Ben pointed out. "She spent all memorial day weekend holed up with you in the bathroom, attempting to get your hair back to blonde."

"Come Tuesday morning, you were back to blonde," Xander added.

"And that was one of the best weekends, too." Leila smiled wistfully. "Still top three, and that was freshman year."

"JJ's whole life was about her friends, about those she cared about." Nicole moved towards the kids. "When you were happy, she was happy. That was all she ever wanted, was you guys to be happy."

"So, we be happy." Marco said it as if it were simple.

Xander snorted. "Right. And how exactly are we supposed to be happy without JJ?" His voice broke on her name, and Sherlock moved to clasp a hand on Xander's shoulder.

"It's not going to be easy." Steve admitted. "And I'm not saying we should forget her, we should never forget her."

"We couldn't even if we wanted to," Jane spoke up with a smile.

"But she'd want us move forward."

"I don't want to." Bucky's face crumpled. "I want my daughter."

Steve sighed. "Yeah," He agreed. "I think, given the choice, we'd all take JJ back."

"But this is where we're at." Aaron said listlessly.

"It's so hard!" Rhiannon whispered, crying softly.

"It will be for a long time." Nicole admitted. "But it will, eventually get easier."

A new voice broke the tentative peace in the room.

"WOOOOOOOW."

* * *

 **#6 Faith**

The EMT from before, currently standing in the doorway of the cramped room, flushed.

"Sorry to interrupt," He apologized. "It's just…that's the fastest I've ever seen anyone go through grief." He turned to Bucky and Loki, a sad smile on his face. "I'm so sorry," He said, "I just heard."

"Who the hell are you?" Loki snapped, nerves frayed. Bucky huffed, but the EMT took no offense.

"I'm the first responder of your daughters' case," He introduced. "I'm so sorry to hear that she didn't make it."

"So am I." Loki growled. Bucky grimaced, but didn't seem inclined to fight with Loki.

Not right now. Not when his baby's body was still warm.

"I'm very surprised." The EMT admitted after a moment of awkward silence. "I was so sure that she was going to make it."

"How?" Xander asked disbelievingly. "You saw her wounds…how much pain she was in. How could you be so sure that she would make it?"

"Faith." The EMT answered simply.

Aaron snorted. "Well, you were wrong," he pointed out. "She's dead. And your faith lied to you."

The EMT opened his mouth to respond, but paused, his head tilting, as if listening to something. Aaron furrowed his eyebrows, straining to hear whatever it was that had caught the EMT's attention.

But he couldn't hear anything.

And then he heard it.

A small voice, panicked and filled with pain, repeating one word over and over, slowly getting louder and more panicked with each repeat…a voice Aaron recognized.

"Mom?"

"MOM?!"

* * *

 **Yeah. Like I was going to keep her dead. PFT.**

 **We're not outta the woods yet, guys.**

 **REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE?**

 **~CLC~**


	26. Lazarus

**See Chapter one for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **Lazarus**

John was the closest to the door barring the EMT, and his eyes widened. It took him only a second to identify the source, and then he was running down the hallway, shouting orders at nearby nurses, who scrambled to comply, and suddenly, a loud emergency beeping sound thundered on the hospital floor.

Bucky was one of the furthest from the door but he was the first to follow after John. He was aware of the thundering footsteps behind him, but he didn't look to see who followed. He couldn't spare the time.

He couldn't wait. His daughter needed him.

John strode behind two swinging double doors, and Bucky charged after him, but as John disappeared, another body appeared blocking Bucky's path.

"Singer," He snapped at the familiar face. "Get out of my way!"

"No can do," Dean said grimly, the white red spattered gloves he'd just taken off falling to the ground as he reached up to grip Bucky by his shoulders. "You can't go back there."

"The hell I can't!" Bucky nearly roared, trying to rip himself out of the doctors grasp, but Dr. Singer held on tight, his head shaking.

"The hell you can't is right," He snapped, pulling Bucky out of the way, further from the doors. The group that had followed Bucky dutifully moved as well, eyes locked on Dean. "Look at me, Barnes," He ordered, and Bucky snarled, but snapped his gaze to Dean's. "You can't go back there. You need to let John do his job."

"Like he did his job last time?" Dean retorted, his fists clenching at his side. "How am I," Dean shook Bucky a little, and Bucky swallowed, his eyes closing as he attempted to reign in his temper. "How am I," Bucky tried again, a little calmer, a little more focused, "supposed to trust Watson with keeping my daughter alive, when she didn't make it the last time?"

"Buck," a new hand fell on Bucky's shoulder, but he growled, and the hand fell away.

Dean made a face, his eyebrows furrowing.

"You think you can do any better?" He finally let Bucky go, stepping back and crossing his arms. "Your daughter has suffered so many injuries that her heart gave out from the shock alone. The injuries themselves are so extensive that John is only one of six specialists attempting to stitch her back together. They're fighting the clock, trying to get her stitched up before she bleeds out, before infection kicks in, before the shock takes over again, and you wanna go in there? Tell me, what can you do in there that they're not already doing?"

Bucky growled again, his eyes narrowed, but he didn't move, and he didn't speak. Dean nodded. "That's what I thought. Listen," Dean looked over Bucky's shoulder, to where Steve and Clint, Loki and Thor hovered, Stephen listening in a few feet away. "Trust John. Go back to the other kids, keep them sane. We'll let you know when we've got more news,"

Dean paused as a nurse rushed out. "Watson needs you," She announced. Dean nodded, and point a finger at the group, at Bucky specifically.

"Hold onto this;" He said seriously. "She's alive. Let us take it from there."

Bucky stood there for a moment, letting himself hear Dean, and believe him.

His daughter was alive. The rest…the rest he could deal with, as long as his daughter was still breathing.

He finally let Steve lead him back to the room, and the Supers were cautiously optimistic to hear that JJ was alive.

The entire group settled in to wait, for as long as it took.

* * *

 **Damage**

"So what do you think's happening?"

"JJ woke up and starting blasting everyone with her laser eyes." Xander rolled his eyes and shoved Stephen, who was sitting on the edge of his hospital bed. "They're trying to fix her, again."

"Yeah." Bucky snorted. "Because they'll do so much better this time."

"She'll be okay." Everyone turned to look at Max, who was blinking so slowly it was obvious he was going to be asleep any second. Leila poked his leg, finally finished crying, at least for the moment.

"How do you know?" She asked, searching for comfort and hope. Max smiled sleepily.

"I have a good feeling about it," he slurred.

"Yeah?" Tony snorted. "At least one of us does."

"Two of us." Loki stepped forward, eyes bright. "Perhaps all those magic fusions worked after all."

"So," Thor narrowed his eyes, "Not only do we have doctors working on her, now we've got that magic healing her as well."

"Perhaps," Loki mused, and by unspoken agreement, everyone fell silent.

* * *

Two hours later, with the help of medication, Max, Aaron, and Xander were all asleep, and two hours after that, the rest of the teenagers followed. Rhiannon curled up next to her brother, Stephen and Marco sprawled over Max's bed and Leila curled up in a chair. Ben had passed out sideways on Aaron's bed, and then, it was just the adults, Nicole in a chair next to Aaron's bed and Steve behind her, his hands on her shoulders. At some point, Loki had made a couch appear and he, Bucky and Thor were seated on it, speaking in low voices. Tony and Sherlock sat next to Max's bed, and Bruce sat on the floor near the foot of Aarons bed, staring into space. Jane and Pepper were at home, watching the younger kids, and Clint leaned against the wall, keeping an eye on everyone.

"How are they asleep right now?" He jerked his head at the kids, and Bruce smiled.

"Kids are resilient. And they're hopeful. We've said that JJ will be okay, and they believe us."

"But will she?" Clint asked bluntly, and everyone shot him a glare. He raised his hands.

"Just because she's alive doesn't make her okay," He pointed out. "And we thought she was finally living for her?" He snorted. "This proves she's not."

"I can deal with anything," Bucky spoke up hoarsely, "As long as she's alive."

Clint made a face, but then he shrugged. "I guess you're right," he agreed.

"So we wait." Tony sighed and slid down the wall to sit on the ground. "Joy. You think they'll have her all patched up soon?"

Steve snorted. "Not likely." He shot Bucky an apologetic smile. "We'll be here awhile."

"I repeat," Tony said glumly. "Joy."

* * *

The first update came at seven the next morning.

The door creaked open and the adults that had fallen asleep snapped awake, the adults who'd been unable to sleep leaning forward.

It was John, and he looked exhausted. The bags under his eyes had bags, and his clothing was stained and wrinkled, and John leaned against the doorframe as if it was the only thing keeping him upright.

It probably was.

But then he smiled tiredly, and the group breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's breathing," John began quickly. "Her burns were the biggest, but we think we've stopped them from getting worse, and that was the biggest worry. She's got several other extensive injuries still to be taken care of, and we won't know the extent of status until we're finished, but that will be awhile. I can tell you that she's still currently being worked on, it's not critical, but its still serious, and to highly advise you ALL to go home once the other kids have been discharged." He held up his hands when the group looked to argue.

"It's going to be hours," He said bluntly, "and there's better places for you to be than stuck in a hospital all day. Take the kids home. Be together. As soon as we've got more concrete information, we'll let you know. Okay?"

The adults shared a look, but nodded.

"I'm not leaving." Bucky said quickly, and John nodded.

"You can stay." He promised. "Loki as well. But no one else." Bucky and Loki shared a look and then nodded.

"You'll tell us as soon as you know more?" Sherlock demanded, and John rolled his eyes.

"I will." He nodded. "I promise."

"She's going to be okay," Max slurred in his sleep. The adults looked at him, but his eyes were still closed, and he breathed deeply.

John smirked. "That's my boy," he said proudly, before shutting the door on his way out.

And the adults settled in to wait some more.

* * *

All of the kids were awake by 10, and a nurse came in to discharge the three patients at noon. The teenagers fought hard against leaving the hospital, but eventually Steve got everyone to his house, where they crowded into his living room to wait in silence, save for the cell phones that dinged and rang every thirty seconds.

Word had spread. And the large group at Steve's house weren't the only one's waiting for word.

Unfortunately, word didn't come until late that evening.

Everyone was on their phone, dealing with people waiting to get news, sending encouraging messages, asking if there was anything they could do, and praying for good news when Max's phone rang, so nobody looked up until Max spoke.

"Hey dad," Max greeted calmly, while everyone else snapped to attention, staring at him. "Yep, lemme put you on speaker."

He pressed a few buttons and then held out his phone.

"Go, Pops," Max prompted, and John sighed heavily.

"I've got news." He began. "I'm on my way."

"What news?"

"Good news?"

"Is she okay?"

"Can we visit her?"

Voices spoke over each other, frantic and worried and John was silent until the last question.

"No." He said forcefully. "She's sleeping right now, and will be for a while. And you can't go see her until I can give you an update."

"What does that mean?" Xander snapped.

"It means:" John huffed. "She's going to live."

The group relaxed, clapping and sighing in relief, and John waited for silence before he continued.

"I'm bringing Dean, Bucky and Loki," He said simply. "We'll be there soon. Son, hand me to Rogers."

Max turned off speaker phone and handed it to Steve, who listened for a moment before hanging up.

"What did he say to you?" Max asked.

Steve made a face. "When John gets here," he began slowly, "He's going to speak with the adults first. Alone."

The uproar from the kids had Steve wincing, thankful that John had warned him in advance, because it was going to take the entire two-hour drive John had to make for Steve to get the kids to comply.

* * *

 **Awake**

John jerked awake when the beeping sound stopped. His cheek burned as he ripped it away from the arm of the chair he'd been sleeping against, his eyes wide and focused on the bed, where his patient lie.

JJ was awake, eyes wide and unblinking, focused on the ceiling. Her hands fisted into the sheets and her eyebrows were furrowed slightly, the only signs of her distress, other than the fact that she was holding her breath.

It took John a few moments to realize that the beeping had stopped because she'd stopped breathing, but once he did, he shot upright.

"Breathe!" He demanded, and as if that's what the young teen had been waiting for, she gasped, her mouth falling open as she gulped in air.

John watched as JJ's chest rose rapidly and the loud beeping resumed.

"Thanks," she tried to say, but her voice barely came out, what could be heard raspy and froglike. She frowned, eyes flitting to John.

"You were in pain," he began slowly. "You screamed."

JJ raised an eyebrow dryly, and John shrugged. "A lot," he added, rolling his eyes. "It was understandable." When JJ grimaced, John took his seat again, biting his lip. "Do you know where you are?"

JJ's movements were lethargic, one arm slowly reaching over to pluck at her opposite wrist, where her hospital bracelet was. Her fingers rested for just a moment on the bracelet, before they began to tap out a rhythm John recognized immediately.

 _-Aaron-?-_ JJ spelled in Morse Code, and John nodded.

"Aaron is fine," he promised. "All of them are okay." He leaned forward, running a hand through his hair. "You're the one we didn't think we'd have to worry about."

John knew he'd only have moments to scold the teen, as Bucky had made a food run and would be back any moment, the clock warned him, and John wanted to get the worst of the conversation out of the way before Bucky made everything emotional.

But JJ rolled her eyes dismissively and tapped away on her wrist.

 _-I-am-Fine-_

"You insist through morse code," John pointed out.

JJ pursed her lips, conceding the point. Then her eyebrow quirked and she began tapping once more.

 _-How-Much-Damage-Could-One-Tree-Do-?-_

John tried to think of an answer that would keep the conversation light, as JJ had awoken from a medically induced coma with a surprisingly good mood, discounting the not breathing thing. But what other kind of mood did JJ have, really?

Except JJ's face was falling as worry overcame her expression.

John had given something away in his face, he knew it.

 _-Am-I-Okay-?-_

And now that it was too late, John decided it was best to rip off the band aid.

Except…he wasn't sure how. 40% of John's job was delivering bad news to patients and family, but never had a case hit so close to home. His son's friend? Maybe blunt would be best.

"No." John took a deep breath. "But you will be."

JJ was quiet for a moment. Then her fingers twitched. John watched her wrist nervously as he waited for her to continue tapping, but instead she chose to lift one hand to her throat.

It drew John's attention to her face, and he involuntarily flinched.

JJ was not the person who you'd say always looked "put together," but the JJ in front of John was ravaged. A large bandage covered one cheek, where a piece of glass had stabbed her, and there was another bandage covering the opposite ear, where she'd been struck by a branch. The circles under her eyes were a deep purple and the bruises littered her arms. Her hand was fragile and covered in scratches, looking vulnerable against her throat, against the ugly gray of her hospital gown.

A blanket covered most of JJ, but the rest of her injuries were seared into his brain. The ravaged left thigh, the burns all over her back, bandaged and covered in a thick yellow salve.

JJ blinked slowly, and one tear fell down her cheek. She stared resigned at him and waited blankly,and that's when John realized that she knew.

She might not know the details, but she knew there was damage. She knew it was bad.

And John realized, after the conversation he'd heard between the Avengers and the Supers, that maybe she'd known before she'd gotten in the car. Maybe she knew she was jumping in front of a moving train and that pain was going to be inevitable. Maybe she chose to cause herself pain rather than have to watch someone else suffer.

"You remember the accident?" John's voice was tight, but he realigned his perspective.

JJ wasn't a family member or a patient, she was a soldier.

And soldiers accepted their fate because they'd chosen it.

A soldier never walks away from a battle unscathed, and they sometimes don't walk away at all.

But she was awake and her friends were okay, and for JJ? That was more than a doable exchange.

JJ nodded quickly, her hands relaxing on the bed as she waited for answers.

"The cut on your cheek has been sewn shut: stitches come out in two weeks. Your ear suffered some internal damage, you may not ever hear as well as you did before, but other than some scarring, there's not external damage. You have extreme burns on your back that will take weeks, maybe months, to heal, but they will heal, as long as they are redressed when necessary and checked consistently."

John let out a large breath of air, because the next part was the hardest.

JJ frowned, and tapped her left leg.

"You may not ever walk again." He said heavily, and JJ blinked at him for a moment, as if she didn't understand.

John didn't repeat himself, just waiting for what he'd said to sink in.

After a moment, JJ closed her eyes and turned her head away.

John sat there stiffly, but then he rose and left the room.

Because JJ may have been able to handle a lot.

But this? This was more than a lot. It was just cruel.

And even a soldier needed time to grieve.

* * *

 **Decisions**

Steve had just sat back down on his couch when his front door was slamming open, and he jerked upright, watching with a raised eyebrow as John staggered to a seat, eyes bloodshot and hands trembling.

Dean followed behind John, looking less shattered but still exhausted, and he didn't even make it to a chair, instead sliding to the floor and using the nearest thing (an end table) as a back support.

In contrast, Bucky strode in, wearing clean clothes, with his hair pulled back out of his face and his eyes clear. He shot a look up the stairs, to where the teens were crowded around the upstairs landing, eyes wide.

He winked, and shooed the teens away, and the worried expressions bled away.

That wink was reassurance enough, for the moment. The teens could wait a little while longer for more news.

Bucky took the only empty seat, the matching arm chair to the one John was sprawled in, separated by the end table Dean was leaning against. He looked to his left, where Clint and Bruce leaned against the fireplace. Across from the armchairs, Tony and Steve and their wives were crowding the couch, Sherlock and Thor taking up the love seat parallel to the fireplace.

"Loki?" Thor asked after a moment, and Bucky shook his head.

"He's with her now," He explained, and Thor nodded his head in understanding.

"So?" Clint asked impatiently. "What's the verdict? She's still breathing, then? Is she all fixed?"

Dean closed his eyes and groaned, and John and Bucky shared a look.

"She's alive." John confirmed with a slow nod. "And we've determined that these injuries won't kill her."

"But they did major damage." Dean opened his eyes. "She's got stitches and bandages and salves and splints, and she'll be mummified for a while."

"But she'll live?" Steve asked.

John, Dean, and Bucky nodded, and everyone sighed in relief.

"So what now?" Nicole leaned forward, one eyebrow raised. "Because I'm assuming there's more."

"There always is," Pepper added, crossing her arms.

Bucky smiled. "As always," He admitted, "you two are right. Just because JJ's prognosis is good doesn't mean the healing process is over. Her injuries will take time to heal."

"I'm assuming her face and ear don't require further care other than changing bandages and letting the stitches do their job," Sherlock spoke up, eyes narrowed. "Her burns are problematic but they too, simply require time and leave her only temporarily handicapped. So the real issue is her leg."

"JJ does have some hearing loss," Dean spoke up, "But we won't know the full damage of that until she wakes up."

"And other than that," John shrugged. "You're right, Sherlock. Her leg is the issue here. Without getting too technical, the branch that impaled her leg severed some very important tendons and muscles. The impact also broke her femur in six places." The adults winced, and John nodded. "In order to walk again, she'll require months of physical therapy."

John paused, mouth still open, because he wasn't sure how to continue. He looked to Bucky, who patted John's arm and took over.

"Loki and I have already considered our options, and we've decided that it would be best to," Now it was Bucky who was pausing mid-thought, mouth still open.

John smirked, because it wasn't as easy it looked was it?

And Bucky grimaced, but then he took a deep breath and continued.

"I found a place outside of the city," He said quickly, "Loki and I have decided to move Jay there and hire a live-in therapist, rather than send her to an inpatient facility or leave her in the hospital."

Bucky went silent.

Steve and Tony shared a confused look.

"Okay?" Tony said after a moment. "She's your kid, I guess you know what's best?" He shrugged. "Was that what you didn't want the kids to hear?" He snorted. "Doesn't sound like a big deal to me."

"There's more." Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Isn't there?"

"This place," Thor spoke up, his voice gruff. "It is not on Asgard?"

Everyone stiffened, and Steve opened his mouth to object, but Bucky shook his head quickly.

"No, no!" He raised his hands. "It's not that far, I promise!" He huffed. "It's in Australia."

"What?" Nicole and Pepper shrieked.

Tony and Steve started speaking over each other, and Sherlock shook his head and muttered something to Thor, who snorted. Bruce looked confused, but Clint stared at Bucky for a long moment before he nodded.

"Brilliant," he finally declared, and Steve shot Clint a surprised look.

"What?" He snapped. "How can you say that?"

"We wouldn't be able to visit her whenever we wanted," Tony pointed out.

"Let alone her friends being able to see each other," Nicole added. "She'd be completely isolated, away from all of the people who care about her!"

"Not to mention therapy's going to take a minimum of three months, closer to six, likely, if there's nerve damage as well, so she'd be missing the rest of senior year, her graduation specifically," Sherlock added. "Why would you do that to her?"

"I'm doing it FOR her," Bucky clarified, and the room went silent as they waited for him to explain himself. He blinked dumbly for a few moments, and Clint, feeling bad for the guy, helped him out.

"JJ's biggest failing is that she never puts herself first. Everything she does is always for someone else; and we've all noticed and tried to tell her to have her own life. She told us she'd work on it: the last 24 hours have proved that the problems a lot worse than we originally thought."

"And as her parents," Bucky smiled at Clint gratefully and continued the explanation, the other parents listening with looks of understanding growing on their faces. "Loki and I have decided that the best way for JJ to heal is to isolate herself so that it's the only thing she CAN do. Because if she's here,"

"She's more focused on making sure everyone else is okay, rather than taking care of herself." Steve nodded slowly.

"The kids aren't going to go for it," Tony pointed out helpfully. "You will have a riot."

"Which is why we need you on our side," Bucky admitted. "I don't mind being the bad guy with this. JJ is my daughter, and I want her better, and this is the best way to do it. But that means not only sending her out of the country, but allowing no visitors, no phone calls, no interaction at all."

"I amend my earlier statement." Tony shook his head. "The kid's are going to hate you."

"Let them." Bucky said coldly. "My daughter is finally going to put herself first, whether she likes it or not."

"I think it's a great idea," Clint shrugged. "She needs this, and so do our kids." He smirked. "Nobody said parenting was ever going to be easy. Sometimes, to do the best for our kids, we have to be the bad guys."

"Question." Sherlock raised two fingers. "Is JJ aware of this decision you've made?"

Bucky grimaced, and slowly shook his head.

Clint laughed. "Good luck with that," He clapped Bucky on the Shoulder and moved up the stairs. "I'll go bring the kids down, so we can get this over with."

"Or I could tell these guys and you could tell JJ?" he asked hopefully, but Clint was shaking his head before Bucky even finished talking.

"Not a chance." He snorted. "Your daughter is terrifying."

Bucky looked pleadingly to John, but John shook his head as well.

"Good luck," John said sympathetically. Then he smiled. "You'll need it."

* * *

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	27. Adjustments

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **May 2** **nd** **_Day 7**

Bucky sat in his rental car fingers tapping against the steering wheel.

The small gray house in front of him sat quietly.

She was in there.

Probably sitting in the wheelchair she hated, or in the bed she thought was uncomfortable, or being passive aggressive to her physical therapist.

But maybe she was mimicking Bucky, stuck staring at a clock and waiting for the 9 in 2:59 to become a 0 in 3:00.

Bucky had told her he'd be by about three. His flight had landed at noon, and he'd stretched the fifteen-minute drive into almost a half an hour, but he'd still arrived ridiculously early.

He hadn't wanted to go in: He'd seen her three days ago and she'd been fine, said she'd see him at three in a few days, that she'd have plenty to keep her busy.

Both she and Bucky knew that had been a lie.

The same day JJ had woken up with John by her bedside, after their little chat and after Bucky had informed the others of "The Plan," He'd then had to inform JJ of "The Plan".

JJ had listened intently, from her hospital bed. She'd nodded, and hmmed.

She didn't say much. But then, her throat hadn't fully healed yet.

She seemed to take it well.

She didn't argue with anything Bucky had said, at least.

But JJ wasn't one to argue. She never had been, not as long as Bucky had known her.

So she'd simply nodded and closed her eyes and like that, Bucky was dismissed.

* * *

JJ had spent three more days in the hospital before finally being released. Bucky arrived to drive her to the airport, plane tickets in hand, and that's when he realized that maybe he hadn't explained as well as he'd originally thought.

Because JJ understood about the therapy, and being sent away for it. She didn't seem to realize that she was being sent away RIGHT THEN, without even a chance to say two words to any of her friends.

She'd been furious.

She'd said she wasn't going.

But Bucky acted like a father for the first time in his life.

And he bundled her into a car and onto a plane and made her go anyway.

It had been relatively easy. JJ had been so shocked that Bucky had actually told her no that she went without a fight.

And Bucky had landed in Australia and handed JJ off to Loki, who was waiting to take care of that half of business, and Bucky promised he'd be back in a few days. She'd had just enough time to say she'd be fine before Bucky got out of there.

* * *

And now it was a few days later and Bucky was sitting in his car, because what JJ would he find when he walked in?

The JJ everyone else saw, always happy, always looking out for everyone else? Or the JJ Bucky had seen the last week: stubborn and hurting and difficult?

The radio clock switched in front of Bucky's eyes and he was throwing himself out of the car and striding towards the front door, knocking swiftly a few times before opening the door and stepping in.

* * *

Bucky had chosen the accommodations. The place was clean and comfortable and soothing, in shades of blue and gray. The living room, kitchen and dining room connected seamlessly in the open floorplan, and everything was open and easy to maneuver. Of course, had JJ been a normal person, she shouldn't have been maneuvering anywhere yet.

It had only been eleven days.

But Bucky walked in and JJ was sitting at the dining room table, leg propped up on a chair, a sandwich in one hand. She grimaced at Bucky. He was pretty sure it was supposed to have been a smile, but he didn't ask, simply turning to the man that rose from the chair opposite JJ.

"You must be Adam." Bucky said, holding out his hand, and the man, tall and broad in the shoulders, looking not much older than JJ, smiled.

He was covered in freckles and had short red hair. He smiled widely.

Bucky hated him on site. Mostly because he had a thing against freckles, but also because while Bucky had chosen the accommodations, Loki had chosen Adam.

"You must be Mr. Barnes." The man shook Bucky's hand firmly and spoke cheerfully. He SEEMED like a nice guy. "It's an honor to meet you."

Bucky still didn't like him.

"Hmm." Bucky nodded slowly, scrutinizing the man in front of him. "Where exactly did Loki find you?"

"The internet, apparently." JJ's voice was raspy, still, eleven days later.

She shrugged when Bucky looked at her. "Yeah…I was confused too. But the guy's alright."

"Two weeks of bedrest," Bucky said, looking pointedly at the calendar taped to the fridge. JJ rolled her eyes, and Adam chuckled.

"You're lucky we made it to ten days," He admitted freely. "She was done with the bed on day four."

Bucky huffed, but really, he wasn't surprised. He moved to take a seat next to his daughter, and Adam stood awkwardly for a moment before leaving the room, to give father and daughter a chance to talk.

* * *

Bucky watched JJ focus all her energy on the sandwich in her hand, and he chuckled.

"You're still mad at me then?"

JJ chewed slowly, the furrow between her eyes deep. She swallowed, and then sighed.

"No," she said a little grumpily, and Bucky raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" He asked skeptically. "Because you do know that it's okay to be mad at me, right?"

"I'm not mad at you." JJ said with her words, but she still wouldn't look at him. "I understand your reasoning."

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "If you're not mad, then what's wrong?" He laid a hand on his daughters arm. "Because something's wrong. I know therapy is rough,"

"Therapy is necessary," JJ interrupted. "If I want to walk again, anyway." She pointed a finger at Bucky. "And I plan to."

"I never doubted you," Bucky rolled his eyes. "So it's not the therapy, and you said Adam was alright, so it's not him either. Is it Australia? You don't like it here?" Bucky pressed hard, trying to make his daughter express her feelings for once.

JJ just huffed loudly and grasped at the sides of the ratty t shirt she wore. "It's got nothing to do with Australia, Ma. I love the country. It'd be a little nicer if I'd actually get to see some of it for myself, but I'll get there."

"It's the isolation then." Bucky shook his head. "You don't like that you can't see her friends."

There was a fleeting expression on JJ's face at Bucky's words, as if he weren't right, persay, but he was close. But then JJ was nodding her head, her eyes wide. "Exactly. I miss them."

"Nope." Bucky crossed his arms. "That's not it."

"No, that's what it is," JJ's fingers started tapping on the table. "That's my problem." She shrugged. "But really, I understand, and it's fine, I'll just manage somehow,"

"Stop." Bucky stood from the table, raising his hands. "Stop, baby girl." JJ's mouth dropped open in surprise, and Bucky leaned across the table to grip both of her hands. "There are about a thousand things wrong with what you just said right now, and you don't even realize it."

Bucky watched as JJ's expression grew stormy, but Bucky continued. "You're not upset because Your father and I sent you here alone. You're upset because we took you away from the others."

JJ's brow wrinkled. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"The difference is the perspective." Bucky sat back down, but still held tightly to both of her hands. "You here? Without them? You're fine. Them? There, without you? They're a mess."

"They are?" JJ sat up frantically, and Bucky pointed at her.

"Stop." He ordered. "Stop worrying about them. They'll be fine."

"They need me," JJ tried to argue, and Bucky crossed his arms.

"What about what you need?" He countered, and JJ opened her mouth, but had no quick rebuttal. "I don't care about the others right now."

"I do!" JJ raised a hand.

"Well, I care about you." Bucky looked at JJ for a second. Then he sighed and shook his head. "I was hoping, Well."

"What?" JJ asked warily but instead of answering, Bucky stood.

"I'm only here for a few more hours," He changed the subject. "Let's just…enjoy it, while we can."

JJ eyed her father suspiciously before sighing. "Alright, Ma. Let's hang out."

* * *

Bucky left the next morning with a heavy heart.

How was he supposed to get his kid, who cared too much about everyone else, to care about herself?

* * *

 **May 11** **th** **_Day 16**

"So. You look wrecked."

Bucky made a face. "Thanks, Clint."

"Anytime." Clint grinned and clinked glass with John, who sat next to him. Dean grunted from John's other side and held up two fingers towards the waitress, signaling for another beer. Sam Wilson patted Bucky's arm consolingly.

"So how's the kid doing, anyway?"

Clint hissed and shook his head. "Taboo question." He scolded. "We're trying to get his mind OFF of the problems, not make him talk about them." Clint turned to Bucky with a wry smile. "But since he brought it up…"

Bucky huffed out a laugh, clapping Clint on the shoulder. "I appreciate you," He said meaningfully. "And to answer your question, she says she's fine." Bucky rolled his eyes.

"Classic JJ." John pointed out. "She's downsizing her own pain and frustrations."

"You know when I visited her that first day, she was trying to console me?" Bucky shook his head. "The only reason she's mad about being so far away is because her friends NEED her."

Dean snorted. "That sounds about right." He muttered. "Listen, I may be out of line, but I'm glad the accident happened."

Sam shoved Dean in the shoulder, and Clint and John started arguing loudly.

But Bucky shrugged. "Me too," he agreed easily.

That got Clint and John to go silent.

"Listen guys, my kid is stubborn." He tapped the wood of the table. "She's been the punching bag mediator for her friends practically her whole life, and for some of you even, for the last year." He raised an eyebrow at Clint, who opened his mouth to object, but then paused.

"You're right," He suddenly realized. "We're a part of the problem."

"Speak for yourself," John and Dean said together dryly.

Bucky chuckled, and Sam raised his glass.

"Speaking as an objective third party," He shrugged. "I've been too busy dealing with my ex-wives,"

"All three of them," Clint snickered, and Sam shoved him, smirking.

"Shut up – anyway, I haven't gotten personally involved. I've just heard about the causes and seen the effects. And I can say with absolute authority: That girl needed to be removed from this situation, for herself, and for everyone else."

Sam took a big swallow. "The accident is a tragic circumstance, and she is missed by many, but our kids haven't really ever had to walk on their own. JJ has never really let any of them deal with the consequences of their actions, and now she can't protect them anymore. They have no choice but to learn how to walk, and they'll need outside help."

"They're all seeing someone: JJ's old boss?" Clint's eyebrows furrowed. "She's supposed to be teaching them how to cope."

"Well." Dean snorted. "She's not doing a very good job, is she?"

"What makes you say that?" Bucky asked. He'd been so busy; he hadn't stopped to check in on the supers.

* * *

To be honest, he hadn't really wanted to. He didn't want to feel sorry for them. He needed to focus on JJ.

But that didn't mean he didn't want to know.

"They're pretending to be okay," Clint admitted.

"But they're falling apart." John shook his head. "Max is doing rather well, but he's at his wits end with all of them."

"Your kid is coping the best." Sam agreed. "Mine is trying to take JJ's place, and failing." He chuckled. "He had no idea how much JJ put up with."

"Leila's a see saw," Clint complained. "I mean, I love her to pieces, but one minute nothing's wrong and another the world is ending. And YOUR kid seems to have moved in."

Dean shrugged. "Ben's just trying to keep her together," He shook his head. "Can you really be upset about that?"

"Nah," Clint made a face. "To be honest I like him a little more. But don't think I'm suddenly going to be okay with him." He pointed a finger at Dean, who shrugged.

"Didn't think you'd be," He said dryly. "Chill out."

"So things aren't going well then?" Bucky smirked. "I didn't think so."

"I wouldn't say it's going badly," John hedged. Clint finished his beer and held his hand up for another, finishing John's sentence.

"But it isn't going well either.

* * *

 **May 16** **th** **_Day 21**

"Hey kiddo." Bucky joined a tired JJ on the couch.

She was wearing large sweatpants and a gray tank top. She blinked slowly.

"Mom." JJ greeted slowly. "How's the other side?"

Bucky huffed. He couldn't help it. "Why is that always the first thing you ask?" He shook his head plaintively.

JJ shrugged. "It's important," she argued lightly.

And his poor baby looked exhausted, her eyelids fluttering and head resting against the side of the couch, watching him out of the corner of her eyes, that Bucky simply pulled his daughter gently into his arms, her head against his chest, his hands in her hair.

JJ sighed and snuggled closer, her eyes finally closing.

Bucky sat there for a long time, holding his sleeping daughter and wishing he'd said what he'd wanted to, when his daughter had sleepily murmured "They're important."

He'd wanted to say, "You're important too."

* * *

It was a few hours later, and JJ was still sleeping.

Bucky was seated at the kitchen table, across from Adam.

Bucky had asked for an update on Adams progress. But he hadn't expected the news he'd gotten.

JJ, Adam had told him, was making progress.

Slow progress.

Adam hadn't seemed worried, but Bucky was.

Because the exact words Adam had used were "For an injury like this, a slow recovery is to be expected. As far as timeline goes, she's right in the normal range."

Which was worrying, because JJ was anything but normal.

Something was stunting JJ's healing process.

But what?

* * *

 **May 23** **rd** **_Day 28 Parent Update**

"It's her own damn fault."

"Hey." Bucky pointed his fork at the man across from him. "Don't talk like that."

"Why not? It's true." Loki grabbed Bucky's fork from his hand and threw it across the room. "Also, it's pizza. Use your damn hands."

"For a king," Bucky muttered. "You're surprisingly uncouth."

"Big word," Loki snorted. "Did your daughter teach you that?"

Bucky's nose wrinkled. "Shut up." He demanded. Loki smirked, because he noted that Bucky didn't deny it.

"Your daughter is a menace." Loki shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "She's not only insulted an entire species, but she's also so focused on taking care of others that she neglects herself."

"So she's not getting better because she's worried?"

"She's not getting better because she doesn't want to get better." Loki corrected, wiping his grease covered hand on the t shirt he wore.

Bucky grimaced, because it was his t-shirt, but also,

"That doesn't make any sense. She's upset because sent her away to heal, but she also doesn't want to heal, even though healing is the only way she gets to go back?"

"Have you even seen our daughter?" Loki said dryly. "I mean recently."

"I saw her yesterday." Bucky pushed his plate away, because somebody had thrown his fork across the room.

"I mean really looked at her, before the accident. Did you notice anything?"

* * *

And Bucky thought of the way his daughter had always been so excited to come home, of how she was always rubbing some sort of knot out of her shoulder, joking about how "that's where her stress liked to settle," how she always seemed so tired, how she was always so busy, how whenever she was with her "friends" and their families her shoulders would settle high and tensed up near her ears.

* * *

Bucky shook his head slowly.

"It's not that she wants to get back," he said slowly. "It's that she feels like she's supposed to want that."

"But she doesn't." Loki nodded firmly. "So she," Loki paused, waiting for Bucky to figure the rest out.

Bucky didn't disappoint. "She's not healing as quickly as she should be so that she doesn't have to go back." He finished.

Loki shrugged. "Precisely. Our daughter isn't happy. She hasn't been in a long time."

"And I've done nothing about it," Bucky murmured. "Why was I so blind?"

"You aren't the only one that was blind." Loki leaned forward, resting a hand on Bucky's forearm. "The other Avengers? Hopelessly blind. Her friends? Blind AND ignorant. Thor's just stupid,"

Bucky rolled his eyes, and Loki smirked.

"Well, he is. You're not so much blind as you are unsure. You've known something was wrong for a while: haven't you?"

Bucky shrugged, because he had noticed. He just didn't want to be right. Then something hit him.

"Does she even want the throne?" He asked suddenly. "Or is she using Asgard as an escape?"

Loki grimaced. "I've never been very scrupulous," he admitted. "Not even with my own child. I know she's chosen the throne and not because she truly wants it, but as long as she is my successor, I haven't pushed."

"I should've." Bucky muttered. "She's unhappy, and I did nothing."

"Barnes." Loki squeezed the forearm he still gripped. "She's not dead."

Bucky's eyes snapped to Loki. "She almost was." And it hit him again, the grief and the relief and the fear, and he had to take a deep breath and remind himself that she was still alive.

"But she's not," Loki said solemnly. "Which means you've still got a chance."

"She'll hate me," Bucky shook his head. "I make her face this thing – and she'll hate me."

"We're parents," Loki said dryly. "Our children aren't supposed to like us."

Bucky chuckled at that.

"I see our child once a week." Loki stood from the table. "My duties keep me from visiting more. She and I spend our time speaking of the future – " Loki chuckled. "Of a future she doesn't even want. I've attempted to ask her the hard questions, but our daughter is bright and our time is short. I could push her if I so pleased," Loki shook his head, "But I won't."

"Why?" Bucky looked up at his co-parent, eyebrow raised.

"Because." Loki smiled. "I've been her father since she was six. It's your turn now." Loki winked and made his way out of the restaurant.

Bucky chuckled. "A King, and he can't pick up the bill?"

Bucky gladly paid the bill, because Loki had been right.

JJ could call him "mom" all she wanted, but at the end of the day?

Bucky was her father. And it was time he started acting like it.

* * *

 **May 27** **th** **_Day 32**

"This meeting is long overdue."

Pepper, Nicole, and Jane shared a look.

"And you all look horrible. I take it the aftermath is not taking care of itself the way you thought?"

Nana White poured herself a cup of tea, ignoring, for a moment, the mothers in front of her. The women fidgeted in their seats, waiting for Nana to speak again.

"The chaos you find yourself in is to be expected." Nana nodded firmly, still focused on her tea. "It is unfortunate that your lives have found themselves in such an upheaval twice in only one year, and quite unfair." Nana white chose that moment to look up, piercing the women with her stare. "But life is hardly ever fair."

"It's been a month, Nana," Nicole ventured. "The kids are alright; they're doing better-"

Nana White tilted her head, her eyes squinting. "Your lies are not appreciated," She said sharply, and Nicole fell silent.

"Nana," Pepper leaned forward. "The kids really are alright. They're missing JJ, of course they are, we all are, but,"

"Enough," Nana White snapped. "Miss Barnes was sent for rehabilitation a month ago. 32 days she's been out of this country, and I was not contacted once. I was given no information. You three would do well to stay silent now, because I have things to say.

Chagrined, the three women shared a look. "We're sorry," Jane said patting Nana White's hand. "We'll listen."

Nana White relaxed, but only slightly. "Your children are suffering," she said bluntly. "You have chosen to be blind rather than to deal with it. And while you haven't kept in touch, your children have. I've heard of the parties they attend, of the A's they've gotten, of the things they do together. Not once have any of them mentioned JJ. That is not alright, and that is not healthy: that is denial."

Nicole bit her lip. Nana was right. And from the look on the other mothers' faces, they knew it too.

"They're broken." Nana's voice gentled, and she reached a hand out. Jane grasped it in her palm. "But the worst part is they're pretending to still be whole. But they can only pretend so long."

"We've tried to talk to them," Pepper spoke up, at the same time Jane said "They're seeing a therapist!"

"But they've said nothing." Nicole shook her head. "And the therapist has said that they've made little to no progress."

"They're waiting for JJ," Pepper realized. "She's the one who fixes their problems, who helps them deal."

"But she's not here!" Jane nearly wailed. "And our kids are breaking down right in front of our eyes!"

"Good." Nana White said firmly. "Brokenness is necessary."

"Nana," Pepper warned. "Our children are not their fathers. They don't need to be broken. They need,"

"To stop relying on a peer to come and save them." Nana interrupted. "This situation is yet another dragon they have to face, but this time? No princess is coming to save them. They have to figure this out on their own."

Nana white set down her tea cup. "And as for Miss Barnes? She is exactly where she needs to be: away from the baggage of others. She is no longer capable of carrying it for them. Now she must learn how to let them take care of themselves, and how to take care of herself." Nana slowly pushed her chair back, and the women shared a look. Was Nana White leaving? But they needed more advice!

"I appreciate you calling upon me," Nana White said firmly, "– but you should've called me a month ago."

"Nana, we just wanted to wait, to make sure," Nicole tried, but Nana shook her head.

"You wanted the situation to be solved before you informed me of it. But the problem isn't gone. In fact, it's much worse, now." Nana pointed a finger at the women in front of her.

* * *

The old woman in front of them was deeply hurt. It had been months since they'd had tea, the four of them, and when tragedy had struck, she'd been the last to know. But Nana was old, and she didn't have time to hold a grudge. And the way things were going, these women were going to have to deal with the repercussions sooner, rather than later.

"Be lucky I've enough kindness in my heart to warn you. Now, when it all blows up; you won't be so shocked. You say the kids are alright?" Nana White shook her head slowly.

"I've bad news for you my dears: The children are NOT alright."

* * *

 **Well that was ominous.**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	28. Hard Truths

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **May 28** **th** **_Day 23**

For being less than a month from the end of the school year; the cafeteria was unusually quiet.

Mostly because all eyes were drawn to the round table on the balcony, which was crowded with the usual students.

Aaron, staring blankly down at his full tray. Marco to his left, clutching his soda like a lifeline. Xander, clutching his fork so tightly it was starting to bend and glaring daggers at Aaron. Max and Stephen, on either side of Xander, Stephen attempting to look calm and hold a conversation with Ben, but failing, as his eyes darted around the circle, keeping track of everyone's state of minds. Max was staring suspiciously at Marco and his soda can, handing over a few tissues he'd found in his pocket across the table to Ben, who smiled gratefully and passed them to his weeping girlfriend, her mascara in lines down her face. Rhiannon patted Leila's back and shifted her seat slowly away from Aaron.

And suddenly…it is all too much.

"That's it." Aarons tray went flying off the table as he shoved it, food and drink splashing onto the ground. The other supers stared at the mess in shock, but Xander smiled slowly and set down his mangled fork.

Finally.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Xander's tone was deadly, his entire body poised for a fight.

And Aaron was more than happy to oblige. "You blame me." He shook his head, chuckling. "I get it. You would be right. This is my fault."

Xander's eyes narrowed. "And?" He asked lightly, and Aaron huffed.

"And I'M SORRY," he stressed. "Are you going to blame me forever?"

A sudden crash sounded, the result of Xander's tray falling to the ground. Now it wasn't just the Super's, that were watching. "Why shouldn't I?" He hissed, jumping up and leaning forward, pointing emphatically. "You're the reason my girlfriend can't walk, the reason she's NOT HERE."

"She's going to be fine!" Aaron snapped. "She's going to be fine!" He repeated, eyes brightening. "And she was my best friend before she was your girlfriend, so you can get off your high horse!" He turned to his friends. "You all know that if she were here right now she'd forgive me!"

"Of course she would!" Marco snapped, joining the fight and jumping up. "But it's not because you deserved it;" He snorted, and Rhiannon stood as well.

"She'd do anything she had to in order to keep us all together. She'd rather give you a free pass than see us split up."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because she's never covered your ass before," he snapped. "How exactly do you plan on coping without your own personal assistant? You know she's not going to college with you, right?"

Rhiannon flushed an ugly red color, and Ben threw his apple at Aaron. "Well at least Rhi has a plan." He retorted, his eyes flashing green. "What exactly is it you're doing after high school?" He goaded.

"Oh that's right," Rhiannon shook her head. "You don't know. Haven't figured out how to exploit someone else in that regard yet then?"

"You won't have our coattails to ride on anymore." Marco added reaching for his soda can once more.

"Guys, stop it," Stephen scolded the group.

"This isn't a conversation we should be having," Leila's voice wavered as she spoke up, and she went silent immediately at the harsh laughter coming from Aaron.

"Leila, stop hiding your head in the dirt." He screamed, and Leila shrank back. "Nothing is okay! Nothing is okay anymore!"

"Don't yell at her!" Ben nearly roared, pushing Leila out of the way as if to charge Aaron, but Max was leaping over the table to push Ben back, and then Xander was jumping over it as well to grab Aaron by his shirt collar. Aaron tried to swing away from Xander's grip and Xander growled and pushed the teen in his grips harder.

Both boys forgot how close they were to the railing of the balcony, and still holding onto each other, the boys fell over the side.

* * *

Aaron shut his eyes, bracing for the impact, but instead of a skull-shattering landing, he instead felt a harsh grip around his ankle, and he looked up to see Max, face red and blonde hair stuck to his forehead, but holding tightly onto Aaron, and by default Xander, who was holding tightly to Aaron's forearms.

The cafeteria was now deathly silent, staring in shock at the two popular seniors hanging from the balcony.

"If I were stronger," Max said suddenly, his voice echoing in the room. "I would hold you to hear until you guys calmed the HECK DOWN," He stressed harshly. But then he huffed. "Luckily for you, I'm not a jerk. Unluckily for you," Max grimaced as his grip on Aaron loosened slightly. "It's pure adrenaline holding onto guys right now – and it's fading fast. So," Max took a deep breath. "Can we all just promise to have a calm and meaningful conversation and I can pull you up now, before y'all plummet to your deaths?"

"Yes." Xander gasped immediately. Aaron paused to think about it, but when he started slipping, and Xander grunted nervously, he sighed, thought of JJ, and said seriously, "Fine."

* * *

 **May 29** **th** **_Day 34**

It's Steve, Thor, Sherlock, and John, who stand in front of Xander, Max, and Aaron, in the Principal's office. Bruce and Dean are with Ben in the nurse's station, calming him down, Clint and Tony with the rest of the kids.

Jane, Pepper, and Nicole were suspiciously absent.

"We've dealt with every call from the school for the last twelve years," Nicole had said sternly.

"It's your turn now," Pepper had added, patting her husband's arm. "Tag."

Jane had considered her husband and ex-husband in turns, then smiled wryly. "Good luck." She'd finally said, and the three women went off for coffee while the rest of the men trudged to the school.

Max raised his hand slowly. "Uh, why am I here?" He asked slowly. "I'm not looking to get expelled a month before school is out."

"We know you're innocent in all of this, Max," Steve promised. "We just asked you to be here,"

"As the voice of reason." Thor said gruffly.

"Because apparently these two," Sherlock shot a sharp glare and Aaron and Xander, "Cannot be bothered to ACT THEIR AGE."

Aaron and Xander, arms crossed and faces turned away from each other, both winced.

"Ah. Alright then." Max leaned back in his seat. "Please proceed."

"We're actually," John looked at his watch, and then towards the door, "waiting for someone."

Max had just enough time to furrow his eyebrows, and Aaron and Xander to look confused, when the office to the principal's door opened and a wild-haired Bucky Barnes appeared.

* * *

Aaron and Xander both jumped up, speaking loudly over the other.

"Mr. Barnes, how is she?"

"Is she better yet?"

"This is all Xander's fault – "

"Can you blame me? I'm pissed –"

"I don't know what she sees in him,"

"I don't know what she sees in YOU,"

"Hey!" Bucky's voice was sharp, and immediately the two boys fell back into their seats, eyes wide. "Enough." Bucky's voice softened, and he caught each boys eye meaningfully.

"Jay's good. She's making progress, but it's slow. From what I've heard," He looked at Steve and the others, and they shrugged, "She's doing better than you. What the hell, gentlemen?"

When Aaron and Xander's mouths opened to speak, Bucky raised a hand and they stayed silent. Bucky raised an eyebrow at the adults. "What's the verdict?"

"This is Aaron's second fight this year," Steve began, crossing his arms and looking sternly at his son. Aaron shrank in on himself. "But there are extenuating circumstances and there's only a month left of school. The Principal is being very generous:" Steve turned to address his kid, and Aaron stood, taking a deep breath and straightening his shoulders, facing his father head on.

Steve smiled slightly at the gesture, and continued speaking, voice stern, "will allow him the option to participate in senior activities such as Grad Night, the senior assembly, and graduation itself, so long," Steve paused. "As he finishes up any coursework and takes any finals he needs before the end of the week, and then does not come back for the rest of the year."

Aaron puffed up his cheeks, then let the air out slowly. He had one essay and one actual test. The rest of his work was done. He could do this. He nodded at his father, then sat down. Xander looked at his two fathers. It was Sherlock who spoke.

"Unfortunately, your record is a little more colorful than Young Mr. Rogers is," He said dryly, and Xander winced. Freshmen year had not been a great year. "So the Principal asks the same punishment for you." Xander nodded quickly, because it could've been worse…MUCH worse.

"As for your punishment from ME," Sherlock grinned, his smile all teeth, and Xander's eyes widened, "You're grounded."

"So that flight you planned for after graduation?" Thor continued, eyebrow raising. "yeah, you can cancel that."

* * *

Xander went red in the face – because that ticket to Australia was the only bright spot in his life right now, but both of his fathers were looking at him, and he sighed heavily.

"And YOUR punishment," Steve grimaced at his son. "I will be informing HER about this."

Aaron frowned. "Mom?" He asked, confused. "I would've thought she alreadly knows?"

"She does." Steve crossed his arms and smiled. "I wasn't talking about your mother."

"So who's HER?" Aaron asked, but his eyes widened as he realized what his father was saying. "No," He breathed in horror.

And suddenly Bucky was pushing the three teens into a nearby conference room, where the others were already seated in front of a large screen, and shoved them into seats. Bucky pressed a few buttons on the laptop in front of him, and the screen went from black to showing a young woman with a bright red scar on one side of her face, narrowed brown eyes, and a really bad case of bed head.

She looked confused for a minute, and then a bright smile grew on her face. "Guys!" She beamed, pointing a finger at herself. "It's me! JJ!"

* * *

On their side, Steve leaned against the wall with the other parents, watching the kids stare dumbly at the screen in shock, and then all of them were beaming and talking and JJ just nodded and smiled widely at everyone.

"Is this a good idea?" Clint addressed the question to Bucky, who watched the interaction closely.

"I don't know." He admitted, slowly. "I guess we'll find out."

And then suddenly Leila's voice was piping over everyone else, saying brightly, "Aaron and Xander got in a fight!"

* * *

The second JJ's face filled the screen, her friends were leaning forward and speaking quickly, and the noise grew deafening.

JJ beamed at her friends, eyebrows raised in bemusement.

"I'm surprised you haven't busted out of there yet," Marco called teasing, and JJ rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, because I miss you guys so much?" JJ rolled her eyes. "Please – this is a vacation."

"Don't lie." Ben joked, hands clenching together nervously, the first time in a month that he wasn't holding a weepy girlfriend. "You're dying to get back here."

Ben found himself on the end of 7 angry glares, and he flushed.

"Wrong choice of words," He mumbled, and JJ laughed.

"Enough about me," she rolled her eyes. How has it been on your end?"

In the next twenty five minutes, JJ learned about Rhiannon's successful fifth date, Max's application issues with the police academy, Xander and Aaron's fight, about Marco's decision to turn down New York Performing Arts Academy for the one in L.A., about Ben's passport troubles, about Leila's "party schedule," and about how Stephen has been training up next years class president: with mixed results.

* * *

Bucky listened to the conversation, his eyes glued to his daughter. John watched JJ as well, his eyes more assessing than accussing. And Clint switched his attention every so often, from the seniors in front of him to the pale-faced young woman on the screen.

As the mostly one-sided conversation continued on with JJ only speaking to murmur encouragingly (things like "Oh that's rough," or "I can't imagine what you're going through right now,") or give advice, (such as "Consider all your options," and "make sure you're taking care of yourself",) Bucky's eyebrows furrowed and John's lips tightened and Clint shook his head, disappointed.

And JJ nodded and smiled and listened attentively, her face paling further and shoulders growing more tense the longer she sat there. It wasn't until her breathing became irregular that her friends noticed something was wrong.

"What's up?" Xander asked, and JJ immediately pasted on a smile; the same one she'd been wearing since she'd come on screen.

"Oh – nothing," She waved away quickly. "Continue, Rhi."

Rhiannon launched back into her tale without hesitation, and the others chuckled and chimed in, and JJ's smile strained.

Bucky let the conversation continue for thirty more seconds, and even that was almost more than he could bear.

"Alright." He strode forward. "Say goodbye."

"So soon?" Leila asked pleadingly.

"Yep." Clint moved to the laptop. "Miss Justice needs to rest now."

"But we'll get to talk again soon, right?" Xander looked at his dad, then at Bucky. "Now that she's better?"

Bucky's eyes narrowed, and John stepped forward quickly. "JJ still has a long way to go before we'll think about regular contact," he said smoothly. "But we understand how rough this has been, so we wanted to give you some time, which you've gotten. Now you need to get to class and JJ needs to get her leg elevated."

"Wait." Aaron's eyebrows furrowed. "You're not walking yet? I'd have thought by now you'd be out of your cast."

"I'm getting there," JJ began, going for positive but falling short. She smiled. "I'll be right as rain in no time."

"But, you know, no rush." Clint grinned. "We'll see you when you're at 100%."

"We've made a list," Leila informed happily. "Of all the things we'll do when you're home and everything's back to normal."

The others nodded in agreement with Leila's words, and Bucky growled and disconnected the feed.

The kids grumbled, having been unable to officially say goodbye, but Max stared at the black screen for a minute longer, face blank.

* * *

Because no one else had noticed, but a split second before the screen had gone black, JJ had looked – well, devastated, was the only word for it.

JJ's face had been filled with pain, mouth open slightly in surprise, lips trembling, face pale and tiny dark hairs stuck to her forehead, damp with sweat. Her eyes had been bright and tear-filled, her expression partial-disbelief and partial scorn.

And Max realized that three things.

One, he was a selfish jerk.

Two, he was surrounded by idiots.

And Three? JJ was not okay.

Not okay at ALL.

* * *

 **June 5** **th** **_Day 41**

When Bucky showed up at JJ's place of residence, hauled her into the car, and drove her to a clearing deep in a forest, where a bunch of vases and glasses lay scattered around on the ground, she simply tilted her head, confused.

"Why?" She asked. "Just…why?"

"You've got a lot of rage built up." Bucky said simply, hands on his hips. It had taken some maneuvering to get her wheelchair in position on the grass, but he'd done it. Now for step two. "This is a good outlet." He picked up a vase from the ground and held it out. "Come on," he encouraged, "throw it."

"What?" JJ shook her head. "Ma, I'm not angry."

"You're kidding me, right?" Bucky snorted. "You're furious."

"At what?" JJ's confusion was bleeding into exasperation. "Mom, I'm not angry."

"Try again." Bucky crossed his arms, eyebrow raised. "I may not be the best parent, but I can tell you're angry." He tried holding out the vase again. "Just smash it."

JJ's head tilted, and her face cleared. "Is that what this is?" She guessed. "You think I'm mad at you? For not being in my life? You are in my life!" She threw her hands in the air. "I couldn't be mad at you, you're a great mom."

Bucky took a few steps forward and leaned into JJ's space, their faces now inches apart. "You know what I'm hearing right now?" He whispered.

"Voices?" JJ asked dryly. "I would believe it; because you're acting kind of crazy right now."

"No." But Bucky chuckled, because JJ was funny. "No, I'm hearing that you hold a little bit of anger at ME, about the way I showed up in your life, and you've never worked through it."

JJ's lips pursed. "I literally just said the opposite. I'm mad."

"You're boiling right now." Bucky argued, and JJ huffed.

"About what?" She threw up her hands. "If you know me so well, if you're so SURE that I'm mad, fine! What am I am about?" She challenged.

"You're mad at me, for taking so long to be an actual parent." Bucky started, mind racing. She wanted all of it? He'd give her ALL of it. "You're mad at Aaron, for not listening to you. You're mad at every adult who's keeping you here, and you're mad at the friends who've been taking advantage of you for years. But mostly, you're mad at yourself."

"What?" JJ whispered the word, so surprised at the way Bucky was unloading on her.

"You're mad that you're here, that you put yourself here. You're mad that you can never say no to your friends, that you can't stand up for yourself. You're mad that you'd rather be here than home, and that makes you feel guilty. You're mad about feeling guilty, because they're your friends, of course you should be there for them, so you should feel guilty, but you're also mad about feeling guilty because why should you feel guilty about putting yourself first for once? And you're mad because you're feeling all this anger, and you don't want to be. You want to be the calm, cool, collected JJ that everyone thinks you are. Well, almost everyone."

* * *

Bucky stared at his daughter, at the way she watched him avidly, soaking up every word he'd said. She was close to cracking, he knew, right on the edge. So he gave her one final push.

* * *

"You got on that video chat three days ago, and you put on your usual mask, and you put your friends first in that conversation: You listened to their problems, and then you solved them, and you gave them what they wanted; the happy, hopeful, everything is fine or it will be version of yourself, and you're the maddest because you hadn't realized until that conversation just how much of a lie that JJ really was, and how much you didn't want to be her anymore."

Bucky took a deep breath. "Your friends are sitting at home, patiently waiting for perfect best friend JJ to come home – but that JJ really did die in the crash. You're not sure how to tell them that – and that terrifies you. That fear? That makes you the angriest of ALL." And Bucky handed his daughter a very expensive vase, and JJ stared at it unblinkingly, before suddenly letting out a loud screech and hurling the porcelain into a nearby tree.

Bucky smiled and handed her a second vase. And then another one.

* * *

It was on the fifth vase that JJ started talking to herself. In between grunts and loud smashes and porcelain and glass and throwing things, Bucky heard,

"Why is it always about them?"

"Self-righteous,"

"Spoiled,"

"Punks!"

"I have my own issues too-"

"Do I look like a pushover?"

"It's my fault they're like that-"

"Why would I let them be so selfish?"

"I can't let them do this to me anymore-"

"Not just for me – for them too!"

"I am soo tired…"

"I am important TOO."

"I am allowed to feel things!"

* * *

Breathing heavily, every vase and glass and dishware that Bucky had brought broken into shards on the ground, JJ looked pissed off (finally,) and tired (understandably) and about ten pounds lighter.

"Feel better?" Bucky asked, lightly.

"Yes." JJ admitted grudgingly. Then she wrinkled her nose. "No."

"Well," Bucky tilted his head. "I've got more vases in the car, or" He smiled slightly. "You can finally start being honest with me, and with yourself, and we can go talk about this."

Bucky raised a finger. "AND," he said meaningfully. "You can stop stalling your own recovery process. You can stay here as long as you need space, kiddo. Don't shoot yourself in the foot to spite your nose."

JJ took a deep breath, her hands clenching tightly into fists, and then loosening.

"You caught me," She said dryly. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I love you." Bucky said simply. JJ smiled tightly, her eyes brightening. "I want what's best for you – not what's best for me."

"Strange." JJ said after a moment.

"Yeah?" Bucky grinned and moved towards his daughter, ready to get her out of there. "Get used to it."

* * *

 **June 13** **th** **_Day 49**

"It's official." Max showed off his laminated paperwork, grinning at his friends, sprawled on the picnic table just outside the cafeteria. "I've put my law-breaking ways behind me." He flexed his muscles. "Now I will enforce the law."

"Ooh, I feel so safe, officer," Rhiannon teased, looking up from the yearbook she was signing with a smile.

"The criminals in New York better look out," Ben said dryly, patting the seat next to him. "Max is on the job."

"And I know all the tricks in the book," Max said proudly, plopping down next to Ben.

"Well, you'll get all the chicks at least." Xander joked, shoving a sandwich into his mouth. "Girls love a lady in uniform." Leila leaned over Ben to nod at Max meaningfully

"So that's why you're joining the army!" Marco nudged Stephen as the two walked up to the group.

"I'm not gonna lie," He grinned. "It's one reason." Stephen's friends rolled their eyes, but Max winked conspiratorially.

"I can't believe," Rhiannon began slowly pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts.

Marco snickered. "That Xander snuck onto campus just to eat with us?"

Xander threw a straw wrapper at Marco. "I'm avoiding Sherlock. You know he just clucks and shakes his head whenever he sees me? You'd think I'd murdered his mom."

"You were pretty much expelled Xan," his sister huffed. "He has a right to be disappointed. "Anyway," Rhiannon leaned against her brother's shoulder. "I can't believe that we've been going to this school for four years, and we've never sat outside before."

"Old habits die hard." The last of their group, wearing a sheepish expression and carrying a dozen donuts, stood a few feet away. The group tensed, eyes flicking from Aaron to Xander, the two boys just staring at each other for a long moment. Finally, Aaron nodded at Xander. "I see you have the same idea I did."

"Your dad driving you insane?" Xander asked wryly, and Aaron snorted.

"He just keeps shaking his HEAD at me," he muttered, and Xander chuckled.

"Take a seat, loser," He jerked his head at the picnic table, and Aaron joined his friends with a smile.

"Old habits DO die hard," Max began thoughtfully. "But you know what?" He straightened, a sudden thought striking him. "We have a built-in restart button."

"You're talking about graduation?" Stephen guessed, and Max nodded his head quickly.

"We have this opportunity, before we all divide and conquer, to really reevaluate everything: our goals, our dreams, our friendships."

"I'm reevaluating one friendship right now," Marco muttered, and Max rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious guys. We can choose to be better: better friends, better contributions to society, better people in general. I think we should all be aware of that." He stared at his friends, catching each one's eye in turn. "Let's be more deserving of the things in our life, and more humble about the things we've gotten that we never earned, that we did nothing to deserve."

There was a long moment of silence.

Then Rhiannon laughed.

"Way too deep for lunchtime," she chastised lightly, and Max rolled his eyes.

"I second that," Ben shook his head. "Where did that come from?"

Max opened his mouth to explain, but one look at his friends faces, and he knew they wouldn't understand. So instead, he sighed, cracked a joke, and the rest of lunchtime fell to teasing and talks of the future.

This, it hit Max suddenly, must be what it's like to be JJ.

Max decided: maybe his friends wouldn't take his advice, but he could.

He'd be a better friend to JJ, when she came back.

If she came back.

And until then?

Well, he still had the physical test for the police academy to train for.

* * *

 **This is a little thing I like to call PROGRESS.**

 **Too bad it's all for naught...**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	29. Final Countdown

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **June 20** **th** **_Day 56**

"Bend your knee."

"Rotate your ankle."

"Point your toe."

"And relax."

John Watson leaned back in his chair, scrutinizing the woman in front of him.

John had been very thorough, and so JJ was panting heavily and sweat clung to her forehead and her leg trembled from exertion, but she shot him a tired smile.

"So?" She asked. "What's the verdict?"

"Remarkable." John shook his head. "In 15 days, you've regained the majority of the mobility in your leg, and your therapist tells me you've even taken a few steps entirely unassisted?"

"Three and a half." JJ confirmed. "From the toilet to the bathroom door. Call me cured, doc."

"Not so fast." John crossed his arms and considered JJ for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

"You're not that kind of doc, Doc." JJ's eyes narrowed, but John simply waited, and JJ sighed.

"I feel – pissed off. Do you know," she began, her voice light, "That my best friends didn't even ask me how I was doing? I literally died less than two months ago, and I don't even get a "are you doing okay?"

"Outrageous." John agreed.

"And the worst part is, they don't ask because we've never really had a two-way friendship, and I've let it happen."

"Why?" John pushed, and JJ huffed, falling back against the couch cushions and rolling her eyes.

"Because at first, I just wanted to be so necessary to them that they couldn't live without me. And then I wanted to be an easy friend – the more difficult I was, the less they'd want to keep me. So I was everything they wanted, and I never pushed for an equal relationship, not with any of them. And by the time I realized that I wasn't happy with a one way relationship, years had passed, and it had just seemed like too much work to try and change. And now – here we are. I'm furious that I'm being treated this way, but I let it happen, and so I'm really mostly mad at me."

"Just mad?" John asked, and JJ shot him a look.

"I hate it when people understand me," she muttered. "You suck, Watson."

"So I'm right?" John pressed, and JJ groaned.

"You're not wrong," she finally said. "I'm worried. These guys are my friends, but they like this perfect parody of a person that I've been for the last twelve years. My sudden change of heart would crush their souls – like a grape, crush their souls."

John leaned back, and JJ leaned forward, following John with her eyes.

"One thing that I'm always telling them, is that they're just people. They make mistakes, they're allowed to have feelings, and their first responsibility is to themselves. I've upheld none of these, and that makes me a hypocrite. I owe it to myself, and to them, to live the laws that I preach."

"Great." John agreed. "So what's holding you back?"

JJ sagged, her bottom lip poking out. "What if they don't like me?" She asked pathetically, and John couldn't help himself.

He laughed.

JJ's expression quickly went from pathetic to affronted, and her arms crossed.

"So they don't like you," John explained quickly. "Make new friends. Friends who appreciate you."

"Which brings us back to the crushing their souls bit," JJ pointed out, and John reached for his bag, shrugging.

"I guess you have to make a decision," He admitted honestly. "Reevaluate your priorities. Are you always going to revolve around them, or are you going to grow up, and go get a life?"

JJ was silent for a long moment. Then she huffed. "Your honesty is appreciated," she said stiffly, slowly lifting herself into a standing position. "But your honestly also makes me want to punch you in your stupid old face."

She smiled and held out her hand. "Thanks, Watson."

* * *

John found his hand being shook firmly and his eyes caught on JJ's face, bags under her eyes, sweat on her forehead, smile sincere, gaze direct.

John had sat at JJ's beside two months ago with the realization that he was sitting next to one of the bravest soldiers he'd ever met.

But it wasn't until that moment that John finally saw the soldier spirit in JJ come out.

JJ had had to break to realize it, both physically and mentally.

Hopefully, the others wouldn't have to break to see it.

* * *

"I'm impressed."

"Right?" Bucky beamed at John as the two walked into the airport. "She won't be running sprints anytime soon, but we've upgraded to cane status, so I feel good about it." Bucky paused, shooting John a serious look. "And I appreciate you coming all this way to check on her."

"Anytime." John clasped Bucky's shoulder as they continued walked towards John's terminal. "Her progress was so slow in the beginning, but the last two weeks she's improved by leaps and bounds. Perhaps that has to do something with her, mental status?" John asked slyly, and Bucky grinned, hands shoved in his pockets.

"She's finally started acting her age," Bucky admitted freely. "Which is a nice change; I finally don't feel like I'm trying to parent a forty-year-old."

"It looks good on her." John admitted. "But her sense of humor is a bit more – "

"Dirty? Blunt? Self-deprecating?" Bucky tried to guess with a chuckle. John rolled his eyes.

"Sarcastic." He amended. "It's more sarcastic than I'd anticipated."

"She's always spent so much time trying not to offend anyone," Bucky shrugged. "It'll take some time to find a balance."

"Well, time is something you've got." John smiled at his friend shooting his watch a glance. "Not so for myself, as soon as I land I've got to run and pick up Max's suit for graduation in two days,"

"Tomorrow?" Bucky huffed. "I didn't realize it was so close."

"Well." John stopped to grab the bag Bucky was holding. "I'm sure your daughter has realized. So don't be surprised if she's a little off all day – this isn't an experience she'll be able to get back, and she's missing it."

Bucky tilted his head, his eyes going unfocused. John stood there for a moment. Then he smiled.

"You're thinking of doing something stupid – aren't you?"

Bucky huffed out a laugh, but he didn't deny it.

"Right." John sighed. "Should I save you a seat?"

Bucky slapped his friends arm. "You better," He admitted slyly before striding away.

John rolled his eyes and continued towards his terminal.

The next few days would be…interesting, if nothing else.

* * *

 **June 21** **st** **_Day 57**

"Alright." Nicole, Pepper, and Jane shared a look. In front of them, squashed together on Steve's loveseat and couch, were the men.

Tony and Steve and Thor on the couch, Sherlock and John standing behind them. Bruce and Dean on the loveseat, Clint perched on the arm. The women stood with crossed arms and fierce expressions, and the men sat, looking nervous and fidgeting.

"Tomorrow is the biggest day of our kids lives." Nicole spoke bluntly, recalling the advice Nana had given her on the phone that morning. "It is your job to ensure that it is also the happiest day of their lives."

"Happy?" Tony snorted. "Without their best friend?"

From behind his back Clint pulled out a nerf gun, aimed, and fired. The foam bullet hit Tony right in the eye.

Tony flailed, one hand grabbing frantically. "What the hell?"

"That's the problem." Pepper huffed, because of course Tony would be the one to bring up the whole issue. "Justice won't be there,"

"She shouldn't be there," Clint agreed slowly. "From what we've heard she's making progress, but she's where she needs to be."

"The kids take their cue from you." Jane explained. "If you whine and mope and think about all the ways the day could be better, you're going to spoil the greatness that the day already is."

"If you ruin this day for them," Nicole shook her head. "Bad things will happen."

"So you sat us all down to threaten us?" Thor shook his head. "A certain amount of wistfulness is expected."

"Thor's right," Steve added. "JJ isn't able to make her own graduation. That's upsetting." He raised a hand when Clint held up his nerf gun threateningly. "Not for them: Our kids get to experience that, and not getting to do it with her by their sides is a bummer, but Aaron?" Steve shrugged. "My son's going to be more upset that she can't experience it period. That's not codependence."

"Tomorrow is one day that she won't ever get back." Sherlock nodded seriously. "I missed my own,"

"You were twelve when you graduated high school," Jane snorted, and Sherlock shrugged.

"I still regret it. Not because of my fellow students," he shuddered. "Plebians. No, I regret it because I missed the experience."

"Those emotions are natural." Nicole nodded. "We acknowledge them, but we don't cultivate them. It's our job to make sure those kids keep their focus on the day."

"JJ will be missed." Pepper added. "Of course she will. But our kids are graduating high school! That's something we have to celebrate."

"And when we focus on the right things, they will." Jane finished. "We set the foundation for them. Let us help give them a good day."

"As parents," Clint stood up addressing the room. "It's our job to do what's best for our kids; put them first." He grinned at the women. "I'm in. Tomorrow's going to be awesome." He looked around. "It's our job to do everything we can for our kids. We put them first. Hasn't that been the thing all along?"

The women nodded confidentally, and the meeting adjourned soon after that.

"Is Bucky going to be there, even if Jay isn't?" Steve asked suddenly, and John coughed nervously.

"He'll be there," John admitted when everyone looked his way. "We'll save him a seat."

The others nodded and left the conversation at that, but Clint narrowed his eyes and shot John a look.

When no one else was paying attention to them, John winked, and Clint's eyes widened.

Tomorrow was shaping up to be a good day.

* * *

 **June 23** **rd** **_Day 58**

"I can't believe the amount of progress you've made," Adam clapped enthusiastically as JJ walked from her bedroom door to the kitchen table.

It was slow going: the limp was prominent and she couldn't hide the grimace on her face, but soon enough she was easing herself into a chair, without crutch, without walker, all on her own.

JJ shot Adam a nasty look. "It was ten feet, stupid," She snapped.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but Adam was shaking his head at her.

"Don't apologize," he scolded. "Mom's orders. You said what you felt, and that too, is progress."

"It was rude," JJ pointed out, blowing hair out of her face. Adam smiled good naturedly and shrugged.

"It was honest. And I can take it."

"Right." JJ sighed heavily. "You realize though, that if I went home and talked to my friends like that, half of them would cry?"

Adam shrugged. "If they can't accept you for who you really are, they're not actually you're friends, are they?"

"But if they disown me, I'm completely alone: a lame, lonely, friendless, bum who has hit rock bottom." JJ crossed her arms. Someone knocked on the door, but Adam didn't move to answer it, not yet. Instead, he tilted his head.

"Well. Rock bottom is a great place to build a sturdy foundation." He finally said cheerfully, turning to go answer the door.

JJ made a face. "If you say so. Who's here, anyway?" JJ leaned forward. "Dad won't be by till next week, and Mom said Monday. It's Friday." JJ frowned when Adam opened the door and Bucky filled the doorway.

"It's Friday." She repeated dumbly. "Why are you here?"

Bucky smiled slowly and held up an article of clothing.

"I know it is. I also thought, since you've been doing so well – " Bucky shot an inquiring look at Adam who gave Bucky two thumbs up.

"Been sassing me all day," he said approvingly.

"Well, I thought you'd like to go on a field trip." Bucky finished.

And JJ straightened. "Where?" She asked suspiciously.

Bucky just smiled.

And after a long moment in which JJ considered her mom seriously, her eyes lit up.

"Are we going where I think we're going?" She asked excitedly.

"If you remembered what tomorrow is," Bucky nodded, "Then yes. But if we want to get there in time, we have to leave – right now."

JJ hobbled to her feet and reached for the cane she liked to pretend she didn't need, hurrying towards the front door.

"Bye Adam!" She called over her shoulder. "We're out!"

"Wait!" Adam couldn't help the smile that grew on his face. "Where do you think you're going?"

JJ paused in the doorway, leaning against her father, the short trek having winded her already. Despite her fatigue, she smiled at Adam.

"None of your business," she said cheekily. And with one final sass, she was out the door.

* * *

"You know what you're doing?" Adam asked Bucky seriously.

Bucky shrugged. "Probably not." He admitted easily. "But this is something she needs. And it may not be the smartest thing I've ever done, but," Bucky's gaze moved out the door, to where JJ was leaning against the fence, her nose scrunched up in determination as she stared at the car a few feet away. "She hasn't smiled like that in 58 days."

Adam watched from the doorway as Bucky hurried towards his daughter and helped her, mostly carrying her the last few feet towards the car.

JJ wasn't ready to go on a field trip: especially not THIS field trip. Bucky had been right about that part; this wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done.

But he'd also been right about the other thing.

Adam hadn't ever seen JJ smile the way she had just then.

Adam watched the two drive off, wishing them the best…and hoping this spur of the moment decision didn't blow up in all their faces.

* * *

 **June 23** **rd** **_Day 59**

"Sweetheart!"

"Yes, dear?" Steve stopped mid-conversation with Tony to turn to his wife. She huffed, her hands on her hips, pale purple heels dangling from a few fingers.

"Did you pick up your suit from the dry cleaners?"

"Yesterday." Steve nodded promptly.

"Did you bring said suit home with you?"

Steve's eyebrows furrowed, but Tony at his side, snickered into his beer.

"Yes?" Steve said slowly, confused because, where else would he have taken it?

Nicole tilted her head. "Then why aren't you wearing it?" She snapped, and Steve shot a gaze down to his sweatpants and t shirt.

"Aw, c'mon Nic," Steve rolled his eyes. "We don't have to leave for hours yet."

"But the kids leave in twenty minutes." Nicole pointed at the large clock over the fireplace. "And I want pictures while its light out."

Steve sighed and reluctantly handed over his beer to Tony, who took the beverage cheerfully and retreated to the living room, where everyone else was hanging out.

"Give me ten minutes," He said to his wife, but Nicole shook her head, her blond hair brushing her shoulders.

"Six minutes," She amended. "Hurry up."

Steve made a face but hurried down the hall, and Nicole followed Tony's direction, headed towards the living room.

She paused in the doorway, just for a second, and took everything in.

* * *

Xander and Stephen dealt with their ties grumpily, while Max stood by with a smirk, patting his bow tie and offering advice, their grad robes in a bundle on the ground. Ben was showing Marco and Leila how to attach their honor cords, and Rhiannon was fussing with her hair. Aaron leaned against the wall, watching his friends putter away, a small smile on his face and for all the world looking like he were missing a limb.

After a moment, Sherlock and Thor moved towards the boys, intent on helping them with their ties, and Jane and Pepper approached Rhiannon, a curling iron in Pepper's hand and hairspray in Jane's. Bruce was talking with John and Dean at the kitchen island, out of the way, and Clint was muttering at the camera in his hand.

And still Aaron leaned against the wall, watching but not joining in. Nicole understood.

The scene in front of her was a familiar one: countless Halloweens and birthdays and special occasions had started in this very living room, but one person was missing.

Only one person, and it just seemed…off.

"Hey." Nicole jumped slightly as a cool hand fell on her shoulder. She looked up and smiled weakly at her husband. Steve smiled weakly back.

"It'll be okay," He murmured.

"She should be here." Nicole whispered.

Or, she thought she had. But the living room in front of her went silent, and she looked up to find matching looks of grief and understanding.

"Nah." Clint spoke up, throwing the camera strap over his head. "She's where she needs to be, right now, which is more than I can say for all of you." He clapped his hands, breaking the moment. "Out on the front lawn everybody. Picture time!" The kids grumbled, grabbing robes and slipping on shoes but moving towards the door, the parents following quickly behind.

"But wait," Aaron called out. "Where's Mr. Barnes? I thought he was going to be here?"

Steve frowned, because he'd spoken to Bucky yesterday, and the man had been reluctant, but he'd agreed to come, and he wasn't here.

John cleared his throat. "About that," He shrugged. "He told me to tell you all he was going to be late…he had an errand to run."

"But he'll be here?" Steve checked.

John tilted his head. "He'll meet us there." He clarified.

Steve nodded, letting Nicole push him into the correct position for pictures, eyebrows furrowed.

Because what John said should've made Steve feel better…

But it just made him feel nervous.

* * *

The Avengers and their families filled four rows near the back of the stadium that the ceremony was held at.

Steve made sure to leave an empty seat next to him, right on the aisle.

For Bucky.

Because he would be there.

He would.

The rest of the families settled into their seats and chatted quietly.

Clint, at one point, huffed.

"It still feels weird." He admitted loudly, and the others nodded in agreement, some in relief that Clint had spoken up about the elephant in the room. "I mean, She's where she needs to be, of course."

"But she's not where we want her to be." Thor finished, wrapping an arm around his youngest son. He sighed. "It will have to do, for now."

The other adults shrugged, and when the Principal stepped onto the stage, fell silent, ready to watch their babies graduate high school.

* * *

After the Principal's awkward introduction, Marco hopped on stage, approaching the mic with a smirk, holding his guitar in one hand. The crowd immediately began to clap and hoot, growing louder as Rhiannon, Ben, Leila and Max took up positions on the other instruments behind Marco. Ben moved behind the keyboard, Leila and Rhiannon moved to stand around another mic, and Max took a seat behind the drum set. After a moment, Aaron walked on stage, holding the bass, and the crowd went quiet, because it wasn't usually Aaron who played that particular instrument.

"Ah, right." Marco huffed loudly into the mic. "We do, of course, have one particular substitution." Marco looked at Aaron, and the two shrugged. Aaron moved to stand besides Marco.

"I know I'm not as cute," He spoke into the mic, and the crowd chuckled, "But I'll do my best."

"Aaron Rogers, everybody!" Marco smacked his palms together and the audience started clapping. Aaron smiled tightly and moved back to his original position.

"And now," Marco continued, "The Beat is about to perform for the last time as high school students. We have only one thing to say." He held up one finger and paused, letting the silence drag for a moment.

"Drama Queen," His mother muttered under his breath, and on stage, Marco smiled.

"It's quiet," Marco said meaningfully, and because The Beat was so well known, and their music so familiar, everyone knew what would happen next, but they leaned forward excitedly all the same, as Max started off with a four count and Ben and Marco hit the first note together. Then Max leaned towards the mic and began to sing,

 _It's a sad, sad day,_

 _When we find ourselves to afraid to say,_

 _What we think, what we feel,_

 _Because when we speak, our words turn real_

 _But what's so wrong about that?_

 _So sorry about all the noise_

 _But it's about time we raised our voice_

 **It's Quiet**

 **Much to quiet**

 **But quiet never led to change**

 **So let's go out**

 **Let's be loud**

 **Let's change the world**

 **Let us all be bold!**

 _My age doesn't detract from the fact_

 _That' I've got eyes and I can see_

 _That this world aint what it used to be_

 _And maybe that's because we've been_

 _Too quiet about all this wretched sin,_

 _So sorry about all the noise,_

 _But It's about time, we raised our voice_

 **It's quiet**

 **Much too quiet**

 **Quiet never led to change**

 **So let's go out**

 **Let's be loud**

 **Let's change the world**

 **Let us all be bold**

 _We may be young but we're not blind_

 _We're bound by age but not defined_

 _By numbers or colors or race_

 _We're all one people, together we'll erase_

 _All the bad and change it to good_

 _And we'll start by using our words!_

* * *

The song finished with one last strum from Marco's guitar, the note hanging in the air.

Then the audience was on its feet, screaming and clapping. Marco and the other members of The Beat grinned and bowed, exiting the stage to the sound of the loud cheering, and as stage hands hurried on to move the instruments, another senior took a spot in front of the mic. She looked down at the index cards in her hands, and one of the stage hands moved a podium in front of her. She stepped towards it, placed her cards on the stand, and smiled at the audience.

"Shona Lewis," She introduced. "The valedictorian from the class of 2016. I'd like to say a few words to you, and when I say a few," she held up two index cards, "I really only mean a few." She smiled. "I heard that sigh of relief mom!" She teased, and a woman near the front row, laughed loudly.

"Let's get started shall we?"

* * *

 **.Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


	30. Graduation

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **Day_59,** _ **Continued**_

The young valedictorian looked down at her notes, took a deep breath, and then smiled.

"I will address the elephant in the room first. Of the entire class of 2016 that started their senior year last September, we've had three students move away, six join our ranks, and ten students who love Avengers High so much that they've elected to return next year. Of all of our number who should be walking across this stage today, only two people are absent."

The entire stadium was respectfully silent as Shona spoke.

"Mitch Crawford finished his credits early and joined the Air Force. He's currently in week three of boot camp, and we wish him the best of luck." Shona took a deep breath. "Justice Jay Barnes," She began evenly, "is out of the country recovering from a car accident. She's currently relearning how to walk." Steve bit the inside of his cheek, and Clint, sitting in front of Steve, shifted uneasily. But the others remained focused, unblinking, on the teen speaking.

"We send JJ heaps of love, along with the advice that she get well soon, because let's be honest," Shona smiled wryly, "it's just not the same without her." That got the audience chuckling, not because the sentence was funny, but because it was true. "Of course, we all know and love JJ," Shona continued, "and we all know her well enough to realize that just because she isn't here doesn't mean she's got nothing to say."

Steve frowned, because that was a weird thing to say, and he saw Thor and Tony do the same. Clint shifted uneasily again.

Shona smiled as if she knew something everyone else didn't. "And anything I can say, JJ can say better. So without further ado,"

Steve whipped his head to stare wide-eyed at Nicole, who looked just as surprised at the direction the valedictorian was going as Steve did.

* * *

Aaron and the other members of the beat, who were just reaching their seats again, paused upright, eyes wide as well.

Whatever was going on, they hadn't been expecting it either.

That made Steve feel a little bit better.

* * *

Shona smiled as murmuring swept through the stadium, "Thank God for the internet," she continued, "Here is Justice Jay Barnes!"

The large screen above Shona Lewis filled with static for a moment before the screen cleared.

It was JJ.

And she looked good.

The stitches in her cheek had been removed, all the remained was a faint pink scar on the right side of her face. Her hair was dark and long, wavy and cascading freely down her shoulders, glowing with health.

Her eyes were bright and her smile was easy, and the audience burst into cheers. JJ looked at someone off screen, rolling her eyes at what they were saying.

"Chill out, chill out," she waved a hand after a moment. "My ears are burning, which means y'all are being loud over there: so can you cool it? Otherwise you won't be able to hear me." The crowd quieted immediately, and JJ smiled again.

"First things first, this is not live. This little video is being filmed weeks before graduation, so I promise, I look even better than I do right now." JJ winked, and the crowd chuckled. "Secondly:" JJ held up two fingers, "I am beyond upset that I can't be there in person, but we'll make this work." She made a face at someone to her right, then turned back to the screen. "Thirdly," she rolled her eyes, plucking at the shirt she wore, deep maroon with white letters that spelled out SENIOR, "this is the best most exciting day of our lives, the most important up to this point in my life, so y'all" JJ pointed a finger at the screen, "should be cheering from the rooftops, not crying, and I'm talking to you Rhiannon Odinson!"

Rhiannon, still standing, one hand over her heart and tears most admittedly running down her face, hiccupped loudly, trying to stop crying as those around her laughed.

JJ winked. "A few words of advice; and I'll keep this brief, because," JJ looked again to her right, "It's apparently my naptime, and I'm so dead serious about naptime guys. So. One: Be Nice, because nice wins." She tapped her nose meaningfully a few times, and Aaron flushed, because yep. That one was for him, he was sure of it. Steve, in his seat, flushed as well, because of course. She was talking to HIM.

"Two:" JJ continued, "change is a good thing, even if it's not always a pretty thing." She poked her cheek, and the crowd went solemn for a moment, but only a moment. "And Three: don't worry about who you were, or what people think you should be." JJ leaned forward, gaze direct, and for a second it seemed like she was speaking individually to every person in that room. "Drop all the pressures, all of the stigmas, and be fiercely, unapologetically, You. When you do that, there is nothing the world can do to you that can completely break you." Aaron sunk into his seat, because the statement from before? That wasn't for him. This one? Yeah. This one was for him.

JJ suddenly went from serious to cheerful, and she grinned brightly, plucking at her senior shirt again. "Congratulations class of 2016: I'll see you on the flip side!" The screen showed JJ's smiling face for only a few more seconds before it went black, and the clapping began again, many people taking the opportunity to wipe the tears from their faces.

* * *

Shona turned back to the audience, smile wide. "And that," She said, "is about as good as it gets. So, without further ado, Roll call! Class of 2016, prepare to accept, FINALLY, your get out of jail free cards."

As roll call began, an out of breath Bucky plopped into the seat next to Steve, finally.

"Where have you been?" He hissed at his friend, but Bucky shook his head.

"Not now," he said brusquely. "Later." And Steve made a face, because he wanted to know NOW, but turned towards the stage once more as roll call began.

* * *

Roll call went in alphabetical order, so Banner, Benjamin was called first. He skipped towards his diploma, accepted it with a grin, and then skipped off stage.

Barton, Leila, was next. She had a little more decorum than Ben, smiling serenely and gliding across the stage.

Rhiannon Odinson was regal as well, and Thor and even Sherlock whooped loudly as she accepted her diploma. Xander puffed out his chest and tilted his chin arrogantly when he was called next, and Thor cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled

"That's my son!"

Aaron Rogers smiled bashfully and accepted his diploma as quickly as he could, and Marco took his time, strutting across the stage as if he owned it. Steve's breath had caught in his chest as he watched his only son graduate high school, and had come out in a huff of laughter when Marco took the stage.

"That's MY son!" Tony called out proudly.

Watson, Max was next, and he bowed dramatically once he'd gotten his diploma.

The last person the Avengers recognized was Stephen Wilson, whose father, and three half siblings jumped up and cheered loudly. Stephen smiled bashfully and then saluted.

"What was that?" Steve leaned behind him to look at Sam, who just smiled proudly.

"Oh." He said smugly. "You didn't know? My boy's joined the army."

* * *

Steve raised an eyebrow. He HADN'T known. But that was awesome. Steve clapped idly for the rest of the graduates, listening in vaguely as Nicole spoke to Pepper about plans for after graduation.

Which was ridiculous, because they always did the same thing. Barbecue at the Rogers house.

Steve turned to Bucky, then, ready to hear what his explanation was, when Bucky straightened suddenly and poked the two men in front of him. John and Clint shot him a look, and Bucky pointed to the stage, and the three men leaned forwards. Steve turned to the stage as well, slightly confused. Everyone had already gone…hadn't they?

The announcer was listing off the last minute additions, so the names weren't called in any particular order.

"And finally," the announcer said with a grin as he pulled up the last card. He opened his mouth, but then froze, his eyes widening as he read the name. He looked wildly at the Principal, who stood a few feet away.

The Principal stepped forward to read over the man's shoulder. "That's right," He said gruffly, his words caught by the mic. "Go ahead."

The man looked at the card, then beamed.

"And last but not least," He said excitedly, "Justice Jay Barnes!"

* * *

The crowd fell into stunned silence. For a moment, nothing happened. And then, a loud voice spoke from the side of the stage.

"Give me a second." The body the voice belonged to wasn't visible, but the voice was recognizable, and half the seniors shot up in shock. "This thing doesn't work like it used to."

And then she appeared. JJ Barnes, looking horribly out of place with her hair in a messy ponytail, wearing gray sweatpants and a maroon sweatshirt that said "Avengers do it better." One hand held tightly to her thigh, and with every slow step that she took, she grimaced.

But she was walking.

Someone started clapping. And then more people joined in. And then the applause was thunderous, as JJ slowly but surely walked using her own strength towards the center of the stage.

She reached the podium, leaning most of her bodyweight as one hand reached out to snatch the diploma someone held out.

She pulled the mic towards her mouth. "Congratulations class of 2016," she began seriously. "Because you are now, officially high school graduates!"

Suddenly caps were flying into the air and the cheering got louder, and JJ leaned against the podium with a tired smile, and then she was being swept up into a large hug as Xander squeezed his girlfriend tightly, his sister and other friends swarming around JJ, some crying, all beaming.

* * *

Steve watched with his heart in his throat, whirling towards Bucky suddenly. "You said you'd explain later," He said suddenly. "It's later Buck."

Bucky smiled and shoved his hands in his pocket. "Well, I know we removed her from everyone for her own good." He turned towards the stage, where JJ had her face buried in Xander's chest and the tall young man seemed determined to never let her go. "But it was never supposed to be permanent."

"So here you are?" Clint grinned.

"Here we are." Bucky agreed.

"Thank you." Nicole turned teary eyes to Bucky, but Bucky shook his head.

"I didn't do this for you guys." He said bluntly, unable to look away from his daughter.

"This? I did for her."

* * *

 **Day_59,** **Evening**

"I can't believe this!"

"It's amazing!"

"You look so much better, Jay!"

"Well, I feel like a cripple that's been dragged across the Ocean, but," JJ shrugged, "I'm doing alright."

The smiles on her friends faces fell, a bit, and JJ opened her mouth, but then she sighed, the smile Bucky hated showing up. "You know me – nothing keeps me down. You really think I'd miss that wonderful display of butchering my favorite song?"

Marco snickered, and Aaron raised his hands in innocence. "To be fair," he said grudgingly, "I didn't know I was playing until this morning."

"So not as bad as it could've been?" JJ teased, and Aaron threw a marshmallow at her, which she caught deftly.

"Oh!" Leila leaned forward and patted JJ's bad leg, not noticing the wince JJ was barely able to conceal. "You totally missed it! At Grad practice yesterday morning,"

"Pause!" Max may have said it a bit harshly, from the surprised looks his friends shot his way, but no way was he letting JJ get away with her usual tactics…not anymore. He raised an eyebrow and pointed a finger at her seriously.

"How are you? Really," he stressed.

"Well way to kill the mood, with serious talk," Ben shook his head,

"I'll kill you," Max blurt out, though he smiled to show he was joking. "Seriously. We haven't seen our friend face to face in two months, can we not talk about ourselves for two minutes to hear how she's doing?"

The other graduates looked slightly shocked, and Max felt a little bad for being so insistent.

From the looks on their faces, it had just really not occurred to them to ask how JJ was – they hadn't disregarded her on purpose.

Just because they were ignorant didn't mean they could keep doing it though.

"So?" Max turned back to JJ. "How are you doing?"

"What Max said," Aaron agreed, a look of understanding crossing his face. "Sorry – we should've asked. How has it been?"

JJ smiled at Max specifically, nodding slightly and rolling her eyes to show that she'd seen what he'd been doing. Then she directed her attention back at the rest of the room.

"It was a rough start, therapy," she admitted freely. "But I've been doing really well. I missed you guys a ton - of course," she rolled her eyes and her friends laughed. "I can do about ten steps solo, but I still rely pretty heavily on the cane. So – no major hikes for me, not anytime soon."

"We're just glad you're here." Aaron said, his voice catching on the last word.

JJ threw one of the blankets on her lap at aaron. "Stop it!" She scolded suddenly, laughing. "You're throwing off my groove!" The rest of the group chuckled as well, and the moment was over and the group was once more focusing on themselves, JJ their avid audience.

* * *

Although, Max noticed, her eyes strayed more than usual.

And her usual smile looked unnatural on her face.

And she'd been honest and open, and the group had actually paid attention.

Granted, it had only lasted a moment.

But there would be time to perfect the technique.

All the time in the world.

* * *

A few feet away, Clint clinked beer bottles with John.

"That one – yours?" He nodded. "That one is my favorite."

"Yeah." John grinned. "I think I'll keep him."

"Saw your girl there," Dean leaned around John to salute Bucky with two fingers. "It was only for a second, but" he shrugged. "I'd love to get to know her better."

"Yeah," Bucky swallowed a gulp of beer and looked back towards the group. "Me too."

* * *

"So," JJ swirled a glass of water, shifting to find a more comfortable position in the uncomfortable folding chair she'd planted herself in. "Leila and Marco are California bound, Ben's off to Korea, Rhiannon and her entire family," JJ raised her glass in toast in Sherlock's direction, and he raised a glass back, "Is off to London for the next four years, John's headed that way too, Max is sticking around the be the law,"

"Instead of break the law," Max interjected with a grin. "A drastic change, but I believe in me,"

JJ rolled her eyes. "Stephen's off to fight the war and steal ladies' hearts with his sweet new uniform,"

"Hear, hear!" Stephen laughed.

"My man," JJ smiled at Xander, and he winked, "is sticking around to attend NYU,"

"And I'm doing nothing with my life," Aaron finished with an eyeroll.

"Not YET," JJ stressed. "But I'm firmly convinced that you can do anything you want." She chuckled. "You could probably sprout wings just by willing it to happen, and learn how to fly."

"Fly, huh?" Aaron smiled, this one less brittle than his earlier one. "Now there's an idea."

"Hey." Max said suddenly. "Are you still heading off to Asgard ASAP?"

"Nope." JJ grimaced. "Gotta finish healing up before I take on all that nonsense." She muttered something under her breath and took a drink of water. "Stephen: When do you ship out?"

Max furrowed his eyebrows, because he could've sworn JJ had just muttered, "If I ever finish healing."

But what did that mean?

* * *

JJ lasted ten more minutes of the light conversation, then distracted her friends with food and made to stand. Bucky was at her side in an instant.

"You lasted five seconds," he pointed out lightly, holding out his hands so JJ could use them to push herself upright.

"What can I say?" She huffed with a smile. "I'm a work in progress. Give me a ten-minute breather," she promised lowly, "And I'll come back out and wow them all with my incredible wit."

"Promise?" Bucky teased, smiling at his girl.

JJ winked. "I promise."

"I love you," Bucky said suddenly, not knowing why he said it, other than feeling an incredible need to make sure she knew. JJ smiled and patted her father's hands, reaching for her cane.

"I love me too," she agreed, slipping out of Bucky's arms when he laughed in surprise at her retort.

Bucky watched JJ walk away slowly, leaning heavily on her cane, and a sudden rush of anxiety and fear hit him, filling his chest and rising up into his throat.

It went away after a few moments, and Bucky brushed the episode off. It was probably nothing.

* * *

 **Day_59,** _ **continued**_

JJ was catching her breath when her father showed up.

He didn't come in the front door, because he wasn't there to celebrate.

He didn't say hello, because he was on a mission.

Instead: he stood in the door way of Steve Roger's living room, watching his daughter.

The lower half of her body was resting along the gray sofa, one hand massaging her left leg roughly, the other hand on her forehead. Her eyes were clenched shut, and she huffed with each press of her hand.

Loki took a deep breath. Then he took another.

Then he made to leave the room – he couldn't do it. But a voice stopped him.

"I can feel your anxiety." Loki turned to find his daughter's brown eyes focused on him. She smiled wryly. "You couldn't be projecting them more than you are now." She leaned back, hand still massaging her leg. "What's wrong?"

Loki straightened his shoulders.

"Your meeting with the Androrn," He began bluntly. "I've only just heard of it."

"That was weeks ago," JJ pointed out, and Loki looked away.

His daughter was a natural born leader, full of confidence and with a grace and voice that made others want to listen to her.

She commanded the presence of every room she entered in Asgard.

But it was never a role she'd taken on Earth, allowing her friends instead to overshadow her.

The young woman in front of him was tired and in pain, seated in an awkward position and wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, what Loki affectionately referred to as "rags." But the woman in front of him was also staring directly at him, her shoulders back, her head tilted and an eyebrow raised arrogantly.

His daughter had finally found herself.

And it was too late.

"The meeting was designed to ensure the Avengers and their children's safety." JJ continued, when her father didn't seem inclined to speak. "It was successful."

"They feel you insulted them."

"Too damn bad."

Loki blinked. JJ smiled and shrugged. "I was honest with them." She explained. "I meant what I said."

"You need to apologize – immediately." Loki ordered, his voice going hoarse despite his best intentions.

"Hell no." Loki's heart dropped. JJ tilted her head. "I'm finally sticking up for myself, and you want me to crawl back to a species with little regard for human life and beg my apologies?" The jerk of JJ's head was sharp. "I don't think so."

"You have to," Loki retorted harshly, fists clenching at his sides.

"I refuse." The steel in JJ's voice had Loki hissing. She didn't seem to understand…so he'd spell it out for her.

"You won't survive the consequences."

"That's unfortunate."

The two stared at each other.

"This news doesn't change your mind?"

JJ shrugged. "My time was up 59 days ago. Everything else since then has just been extra."

* * *

Loki let himself take in his child: the child he'd never wanted, the child he'd regretted taking in almost the moment he'd done so, the child who'd proven him wrong, the child who'd changed his life, the child who was an adult now: and an amazing one, at that, and Loki was mourning her loss already.

But along with that sense of mourning, along with the grief, came a large swell of pride.

"that's my daughter," he thought.

But what he said was "I regret to inform you that I cannot participate further – for threat of war."

JJ nodded slowly. "I understand," she said simply.

And before he could do something stupid like grab his child and whisk her away to safety, protocol and Midgard and Asgard be damned, he turned away and strode towards the door.

But he couldn't help himself.

Loki shot one last look at his daughter from over his shoulder.

"And just when I was starting to like you," he said lightly, and JJ's eyebrows furrowed.

She wasn't sure if he was teasing or not. But before she had come to a conclusion, he was gone.

JJ flopped onto the couch, one hand thrown over her eyes.

A few moments later, her father's final warning ringing in her ears, and she was asleep.

 _"I regret to inform you that I cannot participate further – for threat of war."_

 _"regret,"_

 _"cannot,"_

 _"threat,"_

 _ **"war."**_

* * *

 **June 24** **th**

 **Day_001**

JJ woke up knowing she wasn't going to be happy when she opened her eyes.

She could tell, from the smell of pine, from the fluttering of her shirt against her back, caught in the breeze, from the stiffness of her joints.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know where she was.

She opened them anyways.

"Well damn," she muttered to the stillness of the forest around her. "Dad was right."

With a grimace, with the help of the tree next to her, with a lot of grunting and huffs involved, she finally stood upright.

Then, knowing she was being watched, she addressed her audience.

"We meet again, Cage," She said confidently. She pivoted slowly, pausing partially for effect and partially because she was exhausted, already. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news," she continued, smiling wryly, "but this is not going to go how you think it's going to go."

A loud roar in the distance was JJ's only answer. She simply smiled grimly, rolled up the sleeves of her father's jacket, and got to work.

* * *

Realms away, the panic and fear that had JJ had refused to acknowledge were just beginning to make themselves known.

And the other victims were not equipped for battle the way Justice Jay Barnes was.

Death was a battle that at least came with answers.

This battle, that was unfolding before everyone's eyes?

No one was walking away from this one unscathed.

Not even brave, determined, Justice Jay Barnes.

Especially not her.

* * *

 **This...is the official end of Caged. Epilogue to follow!**

 **~CLC~**


	31. Epilogue

**See Chapter One for Disclaimer**

* * *

 **June 24th, 2017**

 **Day 365**

Cassie Lang was grateful for the jacket she wore, because even though it was June, New York was a balmy 36 degrees. Even with the dark scarf that covered most of her face and her hands shoved into her pockets, she shivered, shifting from one foot to the other as she waited.

She tried to peer past the mountain of a man in front of her, to see how close she was to the front of the line, but he too was swaying slightly, as if to keep warm.

Cassie huffed, but looked behind her and was instantly glad she'd arrived an hour early, because the line she stood in wound down the long hill and around the corner, out of sight; and still more people were arriving.

She sighed as the line inched forward. It was by far the largest funeral Cassie had ever been too, and she hadn't even gotten inside the church.

But then, considering who had died, Cassie wasn't all that surprised.

Even though Cassie had never officially met her, JJ Barnes was one of the most famous missing person in the world.

And after a year of searching for her, the world, and JJ's parents, had finally given up. And the world had gathered together to mourn.

When Cassie final made it to the large church doors, only three people stood there.

* * *

She recognized them, of course. Steve Rogers was the man who'd been standing by her bedside when she'd woken up: after she'd been returned.

He'd been gentle, asking her about where she'd been, what she'd been through, if anyone else had been in "the place" with her.

Cassie had been distraught despite his gentleness, and she'd spoken without thinking, not wanting him to ask more questions, just wanting him to leave. And after a few more minutes of prodding, the man had left, the hope fading from his eyes at Cassie's answers.

It wasn't until weeks later that Cassie had realized why he'd wanted to know where she'd been, if she'd been alone, that he'd been looking for his best friend's daughter, the one who'd been missing for six months before Cassie herself had been taken.

Steve had been hoping she'd still been alive, and trapped.

Cassie had dashed Steve's hopes.

Cassie understood why Steve had thought that his best friends' daughter might've still been alive.

* * *

Because Cassie had disappeared without a trace, much as she had done. Cassie was just gone, and gone for months, just like JJ was, though Cassie had only been missing for 2 and a half months before she'd been returned, alive, and JJ was still missing, nine months later.

Cassie returned alive. So would JJ too?

But Cassie told Steve she'd seen no JJ.

And three months after Cassie's return, she was standing in front of Steve again, at JJ's funeral.

* * *

"Miss Lang." The smile Steve Rogers shot Cassie was tired, and the hundred and something year old man showed his age in his eyes. He held out his hand and Cassie shook it, opening her mouth, but unsure of what to say. Steve just shrugged and nodded, because he understood.

What did one say at a time like this?

Steve turned to the other two men at his side. Cassie recognized them both from the papers.

Bucky Barnes, the grieving father, his face lined and his eyes empty. He looked like a shell of a man, and Cassie couldn't help but look past him and into the church, where a photo display stood, the most prominent picture of the man whose hand she shook with his gleaming metal arm wrapped around a tanned young woman who smiled cheekily, a diploma in one hand. Brown and blue eyes crinkled at the corners, and the duo were very much alive in the photo.

The woman everyone had arrived to mourn, she realized, wasn't the only one who had died.

Cassie was shaking hands with a dead man.

Something inside of Cassie tightened and she nearly choked on the bile in her throat. At first, she'd thought it was just surprise.

But it was guilt.

Cassie removed her hand from the man's grasp, nodded at the third man, Clint Barton, who held tightly to Bucky's shoulder, and hurried to a seat in the very back center pew, keeping her head down.

Once seated, she listened to everyone else take their seats and let the guilt overtake her, but only for a moment.

Then she straightened her shoulders and held her head high.

She had a lot to be guilty for. But she'd make it right, as soon as the funeral was over.

She'd just have to survive the funeral first.

* * *

The ceremony was just as beautiful as Cassie had thought it would be.

Hundreds of people had crowded the large church, squishing into the pews, unwrapping themselves from black coats to reveal their black attire.

The front three pews were filled with JJ Barnes closest: her father, his friends, and her best friends.

The fact that they were The Winter Soldier, The Avengers, and The Supers, didn't seem important to anyone, at least not at the moment. The famous and the average mourned together. JJ Barnes was obviously well-loved, and would be greatly missed, Cassie knew.

And the guilt in her chest returned.

The funeral lasted an hour and then a little less than half of the church rose from their pews and walked the three short blocks to the cemetery, where they could pay their last respects to the young woman's grave.

It was empty, of course, because no body had ever been recovered.

After a year, it was unlikely that her body would ever be recovered.

And only Cassie knew why.

* * *

Cassie stayed in the back of the crowd, hands shoved in her pockets, tears in her eyes, as she watched others approach the grave. Some spoke for a few moments, others laid flowers, and still others simply pressed two fingers to the carved stone before departing.

It was only when Bucky Barnes stood alone in front of his daughters grave that Cassie made to step forward.

Because the man standing in front of that empty grave looked slumped, and defeated, as if his entire world had been taken away.

It had. But Cassie could give it back.

She took a step forward resolutely, but the sound of a throat clearing behind her had her freezing.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

* * *

Cassie didn't turn around. She let the man's cultured tones and British accent settle into silence, eyebrows furrowed, because he'd sounded all too knowing, as if she didn't have to ask him what he was talking about…as if he KNEW. But…he couldn't know. Could he?

"Why not?" Compared to the man's precise diction, Cassie's words came out harsh and unforgiving.

The man laughed, low and mocking, and Cassie bristled, but still she didn't turn around.

"I don't think she'd approve of you outing her." He said, his voice light.

Cassie whirled around, her eyes narrowed, because he DID know – he MUST know, but how?

"You've met her?" Cassie asked harshly. She didn't ask who "She" was. It was obvious. The man, tall and pale, from his skin to his hair, raised an eyebrow.

"Did you really think," he drawled, lightly tapping the gray scarf that matched his eyes, "that you were the only one who took an," The man paused as he thought, "an unplanned vacation?"

Cassie winced at the phrasing.

The place she'd been trapped was nothing like a vacation, but from the tilt of the man's head, she could tell that he knew that. Which meant he'd been trapped too. Which meant that he'd met HER.

There were so many questions Cassie wanted to ask the strange man: When had he last seen her? How did he get trapped? Did SHE help him too? Was she doing ok? But the only question that would come out of her suddenly dry throat was, "What now?"

The man in front of her smiled slowly, eyes flashing. "Now?" He said, the confidence in his voice soothing Cassie, because this man had answers, she knew it…but even better? It sounded like he had a plan.

"Now, we wing it."

Cassie blinked. It wasn't what she had expected, but it would have to do. When the man started walking away, whistling lowly, it took only Cassie a moment before she followed.

"Wait!" She said to the man's back. "I don't even know your name!"

The man stopped walking and turned. The strange, enigmatic smile was back, the one that screamed intrigue but promised adventure, and Cassie's breath caught.

"My name," the man said, "And pay close attention, because I won't repeat myself," And Cassie leaned forward, nearly vibrating in anticipation.

"My name is Draco Malfoy. And you my dear, are in for the adventure of a lifetime."

* * *

 **Unanswered questions, an empty casket, and new characters?**

 **Sounds like we're gearing up for a sequel!**

 **UPDATE: The sequel, titled UNCAGED, is now ONLINE!**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite?**

 **~CLC~**


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